IMAGE  EVALUA'^ION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


A 


1.0 


I.I 


|2  5 
2.0 


1.8 


1.25      1.4 

1.6 

M 

6"     — 

► 

^ 


<^ 


% 


/; 


""^  ,> 


Hiotegraphic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


■-^^ 


k'^^ 


^^ 


i\ 


\ 


33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  MS80 

(716)  873-4503 


^\^ 


^1-  ^^j.^, 


^1,^ 


<^ 


L^ 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microraproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


TachnicaS  and  Bibliographic  Not«f«/Notos  tochniquM  at  bibliograpliiquat 


Tha  Instituta  hat  attamptad  to  obtair.  tha  baat 
original  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturaa  of  thia 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographically  uniqua, 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagaa  in  the 
raproduction,  or  which  may  aignificantly  changa 
tha  uaual  mathod  of  filming,  ara  chackad  baiow. 


D 


D 


D 


n 


n 


Coiourad  covara/ 
Couvartura  da  coulaur 


n~|    Covara  damagad/ 


D 


Couvartura  andommagAa 

Covara  raatorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Couvartura  raatauria  at/ou  pailiculAa 


r~~|   Covar  titia  miaaing/ 


La  titra  da  couvartura  manqua 


I     I   Coiourad  mapa/ 


Cartaa  gAographiquaa  an  coulaur 

Coiourad  inic  (i.a.  othar  than  blua  or  black)/ 
Encra  da  coulaur  (i.a.  autra  qua  blaua  ou  noira) 


I     I   Coiourad  plataa  and/or  iliuatrations/ 


Planchaa  at/ou  illuatrationa  an  coulaur 

Bound  with  othar  matarial/ 
Ralii  avac  d'autraa  documanta 

Tight  binding  may  cauaa  shadows  or  distortion 
along  intarior  margin/ 

La  raliura  sarria  paut  causar  da  I'ombra  ou  da  la 
distortion  la  long  da  la  marga  IntAriaura 

Blank  laavas  addad  during  rastoration  may 
appaar  within  tha  taxt.  Whanavar  possibla.  thasa 
hava  baan  omittad  from  filming/ 
II  sa  paut  qua  cartainas  pagas  blanchas  ajoutAas 
lors  d'una  rastauration  apparaiasant  dans  la  taxta, 
mais,  lorsqua  cala  itait  possibla,  cas  pagas  n'ont 
pas  it*  filmAas. 

Additional  commants:/ 
Commantairas  supplimantairas: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  la  mcillaur  axamplaira 
qu'il  lui  a  iti  poasibia  da  aa  procurar.  Las  ditaiis 
da  cat  axanvpiaira  qui  aont  paut-Atra  uniquaa  du 
point  da  vua  bibliographiqua,  qui  pauvant  modifiar 
una  imaga  raproduita,  ou  qui  pauvant  axigar  una 
modification  dana  la  mithoda  normala  de  f ilmaga 
aont  indiqute  ci-dassous. 


|~~1   Coiourad  pagas/ 


D 


Pagas  da  coulaur 

Pagas  damagad/ 
Pagas  andommagiaa 

Pagas  rastorad  and/oi 

Pagas  rastaurias  at/ou  palliculias 

Pagas  discolourad,  stainad  or  foxa( 
Pagas  dicolorias,  tachatias  ou  piquAos 

Pagas  datachad/ 
Pagas  ditachias 

Showthroughy 
Transparanca 

Quality  of  prir 

QualitA  inAgala  da  I'imprassion 

Includas  supplamantary  matarii 
Comprand  du  material  supplimantaira 

Only  adition  availabia/ 
Saula  Adition  disponibia 


|~~l  Pagas  damagad/ 

I — I  Pagas  rastorad  and/or  laminatad/ 

r~7  Pagas  discolourad,  stainad  or  foxad/ 

r^  Pagas  datachad/ 

j     I  Showthrough/ 

I     I  Quality  of  print  varias/ 

nn  Includas  supplamantary  matarial/ 

r~1  Only  adition  availabia/ 


Tl 
to 


Pagas  wholly  or  partially  obscurad  by  arrata 
slips,  tissues,  etc..  hava  baan  rafilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Lea  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  uti  fauillet  d'errata.  una  pelure. 
etc..  ont  At  A  filmAes  A  nouveau  de  fe^on  A 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


Tl 

P( 
of 
fii 


O 
b< 

th 
si( 
01 
fii 

si( 
or 


Tl 
til 
li 
w 

M 
di 
er 
b« 

"t 
re 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmA  au  taux  de  rAduction  indiiuA  ci-dessous. 


10X 

14X 

^ 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

J 

12X                            16X                            aOX                             a4X                            28X                            a2X 

Th«  copy  filmad  h«r«  hat  b««n  raproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganarosity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


L'axamplaira  film*  fut  raproduit  grica  A  la 
ginAroaUA  da: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possibia  considaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacifications. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  covars  ara  filmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impras- 
sion,  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  copias  ara  filmad  baginning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impras- 
sion.  and  anding  on  tha  last  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illustratad  imprassion. 


Tha  last  racordad  frama  nn  aach  microfiche 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  ^^>  (moaning  "CON- 
liNUED"),  or  tha  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"|, 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  imagas  suivantas  ont  AtA  raproduites  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattet*  de  I'exe  mpiaire  film*,  et  en 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmagn. 

Les  exemplairas  originaux  dont  la  couvartura  0n 
papier  est  imprimAe  sont  filmAs  en  commenpant 
par  la  premier  plat  at  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darniire  paga  qui  comporta  una  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  las  autras  exemplairas 
originaux  sont  filmAs  an  commen9ant  par  la 
premiere  paga  qui  comporta  una  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  darniire  paga  qui  comporta  una  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
derniAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — »-  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  'FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
film^s  &  des  taux  de  reduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  filmA  A  partir 
da  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bss,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'imagas  n6cessaire.  Les  diagrammee  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

■n^ 


Jr^i^nc)   F^^^^6e. 


^»«. 
W 


A       I  <H'  R  N  A  1, 


<♦  I       A       1  K  I  1'      TO      A  1.  A  S  K  A. 


SI 


15  Y 


Mm- 1 1. DA  Bakns  Lukkns. 


1889 


-\ 


■m 


■\ 


So  mil  Bitsband, 

WHO    SHARKI)     IIIK    I'l.KAsDKLS    ()|- 

Tills    Vi)YA(;i-, 

AM)    Ic)    MY  NKAR    KKIKNDS    lOR  WHOM    IF?K    KIJIURK 

HOI.!)S,    I    TRUST,    A    I.IRK    KNJON  MKNT, 

THIS    I.IITI.K    JOURNAI.    IS 

UccUcutcd. 


57aH8 


f( 


'■ 


) 


'' 


"  XatuRK  never  did  betray 
The  heart  that  loved  her;     lis  lier  jnivile^e, 
'I  hrough  all  the  years  of  this  our  life,  (o  lead 
From  joy  to  joy  ;   for  she  can  so  inforin 
The  mind  that  is  within  us.  so  impress 
With  quietness  and  beauty,  and  so  ieed 
With  lofty  thoui^hts,  that  neither  evil  tonj^ues, 
Kash  judgments,  nor  the  sneers  of  selfish  men, 
Nor  greetings  where  no  kindness  is,  nor  all 
The  dreary  intercourse  of  daily  life. 
Shall  e'er  prevail  against  us,  or  disturb 
Our  cheerful  faith  that  all  which  we  behold 
Us  full  of  blessings." 


} 


4 


TKe  Inlxxnd  P?).55i).$c. 


A   JOURNAL  OF   A    TRIP   TO   ALASKA. 


i' 


Our  Alaskan  Voyage  began  at  Tacoma. 
This  new  and  enterprising  city,  which  is 
sometimes  called  by  enthusiastic  prophets 
the  City  of  Destiny,  is  in  Washington 
Territory,  at  the  head  of  Puget  Sound.  Its 
growth  has  been  marvelously  rapid.  In 
1880  its  population  .was  720.  Now  the  city 
directory  shows  its  numbers  to  be  25,000. 
In  1888  the  city  expended  ;^3, 000,000  in  im- 
provements. It  has  an  immense  trade  in 
wheat,  coal  and  lumber,  and  shipping  rela- 
tions with  Pacific  Coast  ports  and  ports  of 
China  and  Japan. 


I 


r 


2 

Saturday,  June  i6th.  We  reached  here 
about  6  p.  M.  All  the  afternoon  we  had 
traveled  with  the  beautiful  presence  of  Mt. 
Rainier,  or,  as  the  people  of  this  locality 
call  it,  Mt.  Tacoma.  As  our  road  wound 
its  way  northward,  this  perfect  mountain 
could  be  constantly  seen  on  our  right. 
Language  is  inadequate  to  give  an  idea  of 
its  grandeur.  There  are  said  to  be  three 
glaciers  on  its  summit.  Its  shape  is  un- 
usually symmetrical,  and  we  could  not  help 
comparing  its  charms  with  those  of  Mt. 
Shasta,  which  had  so  delighted  us  on  our 
journey  through  the  picturesque  valley  of 
the  upper  Sacramento.  Either  it  was  be- 
cause the  one  was  out  of  sight  and  the  other 
present,  or  because  of  the  small  increase  of 
height  that  Rainier  possesses  which  lifts  it 
higher  into  the  serene  blue  above,  but 
certainly  the  latter  gave  me  a  pleasure  and 
satisfaction  that  will  last  forever,  and  which 
I  did  not  find  in  Shasta. 

We  left  our  train  at  Pacific  Street,  in  the 
business  portion  of  the  town,  in  order  to  do 


0 


^ 


a  little  **  trading,'  as  the  people  say  here, 
in  steamer  chairs  and  other  impedimenta 
for  our  voy^cje.  We  found  the  streets 
thronged  with  men  as  though  a  political 
convention  had  just  disbanded,  and  the 
stores  still  open  for  business.  We  were  in 
a  measure  prepared  for  the  great  preponder- 
ance of  men,  but  not  for  the  almost  entire 
absence  of  women  in  the  streets.  It  was 
still  broad  daylight,  so  that  it  was  not  the 
time  of  day  that  caused  it.  We  were  sur- 
prised at  the  size  and  stock  of  the  stores 
which  we  visited,  and  at  the  beautiful  things 
displayed  in  the  shop  windows.  The  hotel 
•*Tacoma,*'  the  largest  in  the  town,  is  an 
attractive  building  after  the  style  of  the 
domestic  architecture  of  France  and  Holland 
in  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries.  Its 
interior  is  finished  in  redwood.  Its  site 
has  been  well-chosen — on  the  edge  of  a  bluff 
ICO  ft.  above  the  sound  and  in  full  view  of 
Mt.  Tacoma.  We  found  it  over-crowded 
by  the  refugees  from  the  Seattle  fire  and  we 
were  obliged  to  return  to  our  comfortable 


0 


isac 


asa 


I 


Pullmans   and    their  well  appointed  dining 
car. 

Sunday^  June  lyth.  Nothing  about  the 
general  aspect  or  behavior  of  Tacoma  would 
indicate  that  this  is  the  Holy  Sabbath,  and 
yet  we  have  found  to-day  that  there  is 
special  activity  among  all  the  Protestant 
denominations  to  keep  pace  in  their  Christ- 
ian work  with  the  material  prosperity  of  the 
city.  Such  is  the  double-quick-step  of  the 
march  that  they  are  obliged  to  follow.  At 
10.30  we  drove  to  the  church  at  the  corner 
of  Eleventh  and  C  Streets,  which  stands  on 
the  slope  of  a  steep  hill,  where  our  cabman 
had  not  a  little  trouble  to  keep  his  horses 
from  backing  down  while  we  alighted.  The 
city  is  very  hilly  and  most  of  the  churches, 
residences  and  public  buildings  are  on  the 
bluff,  while  the  business  houses  are  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  town.  The  congregation, 
the  discourse,  the  singing  and  the  Sunday- 
School,  which  we  attended  immediately 
after  the  preaching  service,  all  proved 
that  God's  work   is  dear  to    the    hearts  of 


i 


\ 


\ 


I 


I 


X 


his  children  here,  and  that  it  is  being  done 
with  whole-heartedness  and  energy.  The 
sermon,  from  the  text  **Roll  the  stone 
away,"  was  most  earnest  and  helpful.  This 
happens  to  be  the  last  Sunday  that  the 
congregation  will  worship  in  this  church, 
for  the  building,  which  is  frame,  as  most  of 
the  churches  and  residences  are  here,  and 
the  lot,  80  X  1 20ft.  on  which  it  stands,  were 
sold  last  week  to  a  gentleman  residing  in 
the  town  for  ;^5o,ooo.  This  will  show  the 
value  of  real  estate  ill  this  thriving  young 
city. 

All  the  afternoon  we  were  looking  out 
over  the  Sound  for  our  steamer,  but  she  did 
not  appear.  Conflicting  reports  and  a  mis- 
leading telegram  made  us  feel  sure  that  she 
would  not  reach  port  to-night.  Accord- 
ingly we  went  to  hear  the  Baccalaureate 
sermon  at  St.  Luke's  Memorial  P. E. Church, 
preached  by  the  head  master  of  Washington 
Seminary  to  the  graduates  of  the  Anna 
Wright  Seminary.  These  buildings  were 
erected  by  a  Philadelphia  gentleman,  Chas. 


I 


6 


B.  Wright,  in  memory  of  his  daughter. 
They  stand  on  the  heights  overlooking  the 
business  portion  of  the  town  and  the  Sound, 
and  are  of  gray  stone.  The  interior  of  the 
church  is  exceedingly  pleasing.  We  found 
it  well-filled,  the  front  pews  being  occupied 
by  the  pupils  for  whom  the  special  service 
was  held,  and  who  are  about  to  leave  the 
sheltering  care  of  their  Alma  Mater.  As 
we  reached  the  vestibule  of  the  church,  on 
going  out  after  the  service,  we  saw  in  the 
distance,  framed  by  tlfe  doorway,  the  picture 
of  Mt.  Rainier  glistening  like  the  purest 
marble  in  the  moonlight,  and  directly  over 
its  hoary  head  the  beautiful  planet,  Jupiter. 
All  day  we  had  been  watching  for  it,  but  a 
cloud  persistently  veiled  it  from  sight ;  now 
it  stood  clear  and  well  defined  against  the 
twilight  sky,  for  though  our  watches  told 
the  hour  of  9.30  we  could  yet  see  to  read. 
Returning  to  our  cars,  we  found  a  huge 
black  smoke-stack  rising  from  the  dock, 
and  we  wondered  whether  our  quondam 
vessel,  which  had  been    such  an  uncertain 


i 


■1 

i 
I 


i 


quantity  all  day  long,  could  really  have 
arrived.  Our  doubts  were  soon  settled, 
especially  when  we  heard  that  we  must  go 
on  board  as  soon  as  possible,  that  the 
steamer  might  clear  port  in  the  flush  of  the 
tide.  Excitement  ran  high  for  awhile. 
Many  of  our  company  were  away ;  some 
had  gone  to  bed  ;  the  steamer  chairs  of  the 
majority  had  been  remanded  to  the  ware- 
room  from  which  they  had  come,  and  the 
keeper  thereof  could  not  be  found.  Hasty 
packing,  with  the  help  of  our  obliging  por- 
ter, soon  prepared  us  for  our  departure,  and 
in  a  very  brief  space  we  were  in  our  state- 
room on  the  Corona.  Our  ship  is  new, 
well  arranged,  and  well,  even  elegantly, 
furnished.  It  was  built  by  Neafie  &  Levy, 
of  Philadelphia.  This  is  its  first  voyage  in 
Alaskan  waters,  but  it  made  the  trip  around 
Cape  Horn  with  great  satisfaction,  and  since 
then  has  been  plying  between  San  Francisco 
and  the  ports  of  Southern  California.  We 
find  all  the  conveniences  of  our  modern 
ocean  steamers  here,  and  we  have  the  prom- 


i 

i 


8 


h 


\    i 
i 


:    1 


ise  of  a  comfortable  voyage.     Everyone  was 
late  in  getting  settled,  but  quiet  reigned  at 
last,  and  we  sought  the  gentle  sleep  that  re- 
stores jarred  nerves  and  refreshes  tired  bodies. 
Monday,  June  iSth.      About   8    o'clock 
this  morning  we  reached  Seattle,  where  we 
made  a  stop  of  tw(j  hours.     This  gave  our 
passengers  an  opportunity  to  see  something 
of  the  town.     In  all  our  tour  through  the 
west  we  have  found  nothing  so  stirring  and 
pushing  as  this  young  city,  which  has  so  re- 
cently passed    through   the   ordeal  of  fire. 
Like  Tacoma,  its  business  portion  lies  all 
along  the  Sound,  which  here  makes  a  curv€ 
and    affords  a  sheltered,  capacious  harbor. 
The  desolation  of  this  part  seems  complete. 
Tents  of  all  sizes  have  been  erected  amid  the 
ruins,  and  business  is  being  pushed  with  an 
energy  which    seems  wonderful.      Already 
plans  have  been  made  for  improvements  of 
All  kinds,  and  the  new  town  will  rise  from 
the  ashes  of  the  old  in  every  respect  better 
than  the  former.     On  the  hills  behind  are 
the   residences,    churches,    &c.      The   fine 


h 


building  of  the  Providence  Hospital  stands 
out  very  prominently.  Directly  opposite 
the  dock  at  which  we  anchored  was  a  street 
that  for  steepness  exceeded  anything  we  had 
yet  seen  in  Kansas,  San  Francisco,  Portland 
or  Tacoma,  and  heavy  teams  came  down 
with  such  speed  that  their  reaching  the  bot- 
tom in  safety  seemed  miraculous. 

Our    morning    after   leaving    Seattle  was 
given  to  arranging  our  state-room  and  get- 
i  t'"g  our  small  luggage  conveniently  placed. 

\  VVe  made  thin  curtains  for  our  windows  out 

I  of  material  which  we  had  bought  in  Port- 

I  land,  and   hung  them  to  our  great  satisfac- 

I  tion.     We  were  so  busy  that  lunch  was  an- 

I  nounced  ere  we  had  thought  of  it.     Before 

the  afternoon  was  spent  we  had  become 
quite  at  home  in  our  new  quarters  and  pre- 
pared to  enjoy  all  the  delights  promised  in 
this  northern  journey. 

We  reached  Port  Townsend  at  12.30  P.  M. 
Here  we  stopped  to  take  on  freight  fcr 
Alaska,  and  to  wait  for  the  arrival  of  S.  S. 
Mexico,  from  San  Francisco,  which  brought 


! 


10 


Capt.  Carroll  to  command  our  ship.  He  is 
the  most  skillful  captain  in  the  employ  of 
the  Pacific  Coast  S.  S.  Company,  and  the 
best  acquainted  with  Alaska.  Capt.  Hunt- 
ington has  had  the  command  until  to  day. 
He  now  returns  with  the  Mexico  to  San 
Francisco. 

Our  first  amusement  after  being  moored 
was  to  inspect,  as  bert  we  might,  the  (to  us) 
strange  assortment  of  very  curious  things 
which  the  sea  had  deposited  upon  the  huge 
piles  which  support  the  pier  at  this  place. 
The  barnacles  and  mussels  covered  them  up 
to  high  water  mark,  and  as  the  tide  was  now 
low  we  had  a  good  chance  to  see  them. 
Just  below  the  surface  of  the  water  were  the 
largest  and  prettiest  sea  anemones  I  ever 
saw,  pink,  yellow  and  white.  Several  star 
fish,  too,  one  a  pinkish-purple,  larger  than 
any  our  museum  can  boast,  lay  comfortably 
on  the  logs.  To  see  these  things  within 
apparently  easy  reach,  was  only  to  beget 
the  determination  to  have  them,  and  so  the 
male  portion  of  our  passengers,  especially 


t 


4 


11 


t 


the  younger  ones,  set  themselves  to  obtain 
them. 

The  afternoon  was  largely  spent  in  look- 
ing about  the  town.  It  is  just  as  much 
alive  as  the  others  that  we  have  seen,  and 
has  just  as  large  a  faith  in  its  future.  Said 
a  gentleman  in  a  store  to  us,  '*  Yes,  we  are 
just  on  the  verge  of  a  ^  Boom;'  it  is  bound 
to  come,  and  it  is  very  near."  We  were 
amused ;  for  in  every  one  of  these  western 
towns,  from  Kansas  City  on,  we  have  heard 
the  history  of  its  wonderful  **Boom,"  al- 
ways accompanied  with  the  pathetic  story 
of  its  untimely  end.  The  stores  are  well 
equipped  for  a  frontier  town,  and  we  were 
really  amazed  at  the  stock  of  a  jewelry  store 
where  we  made  inquiry  for  a  Wirt's  Foun- 
tain Pen,  scarcely  expecting  to  get  it.  We 
were,  however,  immediately ;iccommodated. 
We  were,  too,  quite  surprised  at  the  pretty 
things  displayed.  **Why  surely,"  we  said, 
**you  do  not  find  purchasers  for  these  in 
this  new  town."  **Yes/'  the  salesman  re- 
plied, **we  sell  more  than  you  would  think, 


12 


besides  we  are  providing  for  the  future,  b}^ 
educating  the  taste."  Here  surely  is  the 
"substance  of  things  hoped  for  the  evidence 
of  things  not  seen."  The  shops  are  all  on 
the  edge  of  the  Sound,  but  a  very  lofty  flight 
of  steps,  or  rather,  three  flights,  separated 
by  narrow  platforms,  furnishes  a  footway  to 
the  upper  town.  We  could  not  bring  our 
minds  to  climb  them,  though  with  regret 
we  gave  up  seeing  the  residences  of  the  city. 
A  walk,  however,  of  a  few  blocks  brought 
us  to  a  wooden  incline  that  zig-zagged  up 
the  hill,  and  this  we  concluded  to  try.  We 
found  at  the  summit  a  pleasant,  quiet  vil- 
lage. Frame  houses,  with  little  attempt  at 
architecture,  surrounded  by  small  gardens; 
several  churches,  and  a  new  hotel  in  course 
of  erection. 

A  good  many  Indians  were  in  town  with 
their  wares,  consisting  mostly  of  baskets  and 
bead  work.  They  seemed  to  anticipate  our 
movements  and  were  gener.:dly  before  us 
whichever  way  we  went. 

Port    Townsend    lies   at   the  entrance  to 


I 


, 


13 


\ 


■; 


1 


Puget  Sound,  and  is  a  port  of  entry  to  the 
United  States.  It  was  named  by  Vancouver 
in  1792,  for  his  friend,  the  Marquis  of  Town- 
send.  The  people  think  they  have  the 
choice  position,  and  that  the  next  genera- 
tion will  find  this  the  "chief  city"  of  the 
extreme  north-west.  They  already  scorn 
comparison  with  the  towns  at  the  head  of 
the  Sound.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the 
bay  is  Fort  Townsend,  where  a  few  U.  S. 
troops  still  keep  up  the  semblance  of  a 
military  post. 

Earlier  in  the  afternoon  we  had  an  ex- 
hibition of  the  quick  and  savage  way  in 
which  a  rough  Westerner  settles  a  matter. 
Among  the  many  loungers  on  the  dock,  who 
sat  hour  after  hour  on  the  edge  of  the  pier 
and  swung  their  feet  over  the  tide,  or  propped 
their  weariness  against  the  warehouse  wall 
and  watched  us,  we  noticed  two  who  arose 
and  walked  slowly  and  quietly  across  the 
wharf,  when  suddenly  one  turned  and  hit- 
ting his  com  I -anion,  the  smaller  man,  a  blow 
directly  in  the  mouth,  knocked  him  down  ; 


'mmmmmmm 


14 

he  fell  heavily,  but  attempting  to  rise  his 
assailant  used  his  heavy  boot  directly  in  his 
face  and  floored  him  again.  This  was  re- 
peated several  times.  In  the  meantime  our 
passengers  were  in  a  frenzy  o(  indignation 
at  the  brutal  assault  and  the  utter  and  pas- 
sive indifference  of  the  fifty  and  more  idlers 
who  looked  on,  not  one  I  think  even  chang- 
ing his  attitude  during  the  whole  perform- 
ance. Our  appeals  and  cries  attracted  no 
notice  whatever  until  a  man  on  the  edge 
said,  "Oh  it's  all  right;  he  said  insulting 
things  several  times  to-day."  When  he  had 
been  satisfactorily  kicked  and  cuffed  he  was 
allowed  to  crawl  away  bleeding  and  maimed. 

The  Mexico  still  delayed  her  coming,  and 
still  we  waited.  The  pleasant  breezes  from 
the  bay  swept  in  ;  and  comfortably  located 
on  the  hurricane  deck  with  books  and  papers 
the  time  passed  happily. 

About  sunset  she  appeared,  and  then  be- 
gan in  earnest  the  loading  of  our  ship  and 
the  transfer  of  cargo.  This  furnished  us 
amusement   until   it  grew   too  cold    to    be 


\i 


1 


: 


\a 


15 

comfortably  enjoyed  and  we  sought  the 
warming  influences  of  Social  Hall. 

/u/je  iSth.  At  4  o'clock  this  morning 
the  thud  of  the  engine  disturbed  our  nap 
and  told  us  we  had  left  Port  Townsend  and 
were  steaming  across  the  strait  of  San  Juan 
de  Fuca  to  Victoria,  at  the  Southern  point 
of  Vancouver's  Island. 

The  English  names  so  usual  in  and  about 
Puget  Sound  were  given  by  Vancouver  in 
the  course  of  the  three  voyages  which  he 
made  here. 

We  had  scarcely  finished  breakfast  when 
we  cast  our  line  at  a  long  pier  in  James  Bay, 
about  one  mile  from  Victoria.  It  is  here 
that  one  can  see  to  the  best  advantage  the 
'full  grandeur  of  the  snow-clad  Olympian 
range,  which  stands  like  a  "sapphire  wall  " 
across  the  straits.  A  stop  of  several  hours 
gave  us  an  opportunity  to  drive  into  the 
city  and  the  adjacent  tovvn  and  harbor  of 
Esquimau.  At  the  latter  place  is  the  new 
Government  drydock,  which  our  driver 
seemed    to   think  a  very  wonderful   thing. 


^^••'mmmmm 


H 


16 

Our  visit  chanced  to  be  at  a  moment  of  great 
interest,  for  the  four  men-of-war  and  two 
torpedo  boats,  designed  by  the  British 
Government  for  protection  of  its  interests 
in  Behring  Strait,  had  just  weighed  anchor 
and  were  majestically  standing  out  to  sea. 
We  watched  their  departure  from  the  land- 
locked harbor  with  considerable  interest, 
wondering  whether  they  will  come  in  con- 
tact with  any  ships  that  float  the  Union  Jack 
ere  they  return.  Victoria  has  a  number  of 
pretty  residences,  most  of  which  are  built  in 
cottage  style  and  surrounded  by  gardens. 
There  is  an  air  of  old  fashioned  solidity  and 
comfort  about  them.  The  Governor's  resi- 
dence stands  in  a  pleasant  park,  and  about 
it  are  the  Government  buildings.  None  of 
these  can  lay  any  claim  to  beauty.  They 
are  of  red  brick,  square  and  low.  The 
monument  to  Sir  James  Douglass,  the  recent 
Governor  who  died  during  his  term  of  office 
here,  stands  at  the  entrance  to  the  grounds. 
The  business  blocks  of  the  town  are  sub- 
stantially built  of  stone,  and  the  stores  are 


I 


17 

attractive.  There  is  a  Chinatown  here  as 
in  other  cities  of  the  coast,  and  the  almond- 
eyed  Mongolian  plies  liis  trade  with  just  the 
same  shrewdness  as  elsewhere.  There  are  a 
a  number  of  Indian  Curio  shojjs,  in  which 
we  found  Indians  from  the  Reservation  near 
by,  making  bargains  with  the  dealers. 
VVMien  we  returned  to  our  ship  we  found 
great  wagon  loads  of  fresh  meat  on  the  dock, 
and  piles  of  boxes  and  bags  with  all  sorts  of 
provisions,  for  it  is  here  that  the  steward 
lays  in  his  supplies  for  the  voyage.  As  I 
looked  at  the  enormous  quantity  it  seemed 
to  me  that  he  must  have  counted  on  the 
most  prodigious  appetites  and  have  made  no 
allowance  whatever  for  sea  sickness,  that 
certainly  proves  a  great  saving  to  the  stores 
of  the  Atlantic  steamers.  Victoria  is  the 
point  in  our  voyage  at  which  the  many  ir- 
regularities, which  have  been  allowed  or 
overlooked  on  board  the  ship  heretofore, 
cease,  and  better  order  in  many  respects 
prevails.  The  poor  purser  who  has  been 
besieged  about  table  seats  finds  his  troubles 


18 


t 


ended,  for  the  passengers  here  receive  the 
little  cards  which  fix  all  places  for  the  next 
two  weeks;  now  we  know  also  ?£//;•';?  each 
raeal  is  to  be  as  well  as  where  we  are  to  sit 
when  we  eat  it.  The  stewards  and  porters 
have  respite  from  inquiries  about  when  the 
trunks,  stored  in  the  hold,  may  each  day  be 
opened,  and  order,  Heaven's  first  law,  asserts 
its  sway.  Happily,  too,  the  steamer  chairs, 
vhich  at  2  A.  M.  last  Monday  morning  were 
luckily  found,  after  a  long  and  provoking 
search  through  Tacoma  for  the  warehouse 
keeper,  have  at  last  met  with  their  proper 
owners,  and  we  are  now  prepared  to  enjoy 
the  luxury  of  resting  comfortably  on  our 
own  individual  purchase  of  cane-seat. 

At  lunch  we  found  our  table  adorned  with 
a  huge  bouquet  fully  two  feet  high,  the  gift 
of  a  butcher  of  the  town  to  our  Captain,  in 
grateful  appreciation  of  his  liberal  purchases 
of  beef  and  mutton.  As  our  seats  are  next 
the  Captain's  we  have  the  full  benefit  of  the 
delicious  odors  that  the  fragrant,  old  fash- 
ioned garden  flowers  pour  into  the  not-always 
agreeably  scented  dining  saloon. 


Hi 


19 


The  passage  from  Victoria  to  Chilkat  is 
on  the  salt  water  of  the  Pacific,  but  sheltered 
from  its  swells  and  storms  by  outlying 
islands.  Through  these  narrow,  winding 
channels  which  cut  south-eastern  Alaska  into 
a  delightful  archipelago,  the  steamer  makes 
her  way  sometimes  with  and  sometimes 
against  the  tide  which  often  runs  with  great 
velocity.  At  4  P.  M.  we  slipped  our  moor- 
ings and  were  soon  steaming  through  the 
Gulf  of  Georgia.  About  6  P.  M.  our  course 
lay  through  Active  Pass.  The  ship's  com- 
pany gathered  on  the  hurricane  deck  to 
watch  its  progress  through  the  tortuous 
channel.  Several  times  it  seemed  as  if  it 
must  strike  the  rocks,  so  close  did  its  prow 
come  to  them.  The  scenery  grows  more 
and  more  beautiful  as  the  Pass  widens  into 
the  more  open  sea.  On  turning  a  point, 
Mt.  Baker  rose  grandly  on  our  right,  its 
snows  glowing  in  the  light  of  the  declining 
sun.  We  stayed  in  our  lookout  position 
until  the  sun  dipped  below  the  horizon. 
The  scene  had  the  splendors  of  a  Venetian 


20 


sunset  when  the  bayous  are  aglow  with  the 
gold  dust  from  his  descending  chariot.  The 
gloaming  afterward  was  still  more  beautiful^ 
and  the  beauty  did  not  begin  to  fade  until 
after  9  o'clock. 

Wednesday,  June  igth.  The  morning  is 
clear  and  crisp,  and  the  sea  is  as  blue  as  the 
ether  above  it;  the  fresh  wind  is  putting  a 
white  cap  on  every  tiny  billow.  The  scenery 
is  now  very  like  that  on  the  Hudson  in  the 
neighborhood  of  West  Point ;  snow  is  lying 
on  the  top  of  comparatively  low  mountains. 
We  are  running  through  Johnstone  Strait, 
which  separates  Vancouver's  Island  from 
British  Columbia.  Approaching  Queen 
Charlotte's  Sound  our  view  widens.  On 
the  right  the  mountains  stretch  away  into 
the  misty  distance,  their  snowy  tops  ming- 
ling with  the  clouds.  On  the  left  Crown 
Peak  lifts  its  head  9,000  ft.  above  the  clear 
water  at  its  foot, 

7.30  P.  M.  Yesterday,  when  we  asked 
Captain  Carrol  what  time  we  should  reach 
the  open  sea,  he  replied^  ''  Well !     I  have 


21 


ft 


been  considering  that,  and  I  think  I  wilt 
arrange  to  get  into  that  neighborhood  about 
dinner  time  to-morrow;  it's  time  I  was  sav- 
ing a  little  for  the  company." 

Truly  enough  about  3  P.  M.  to-day  the 
Corona  began  to  roll  as  the  swells  from  the 
ocean  struck  her,  and  for  four  hours  she 
kept  up  the  brush  with  old  Neptune,  sending 
her  passengers  to  the  seclusion  of  their  state- 
rooms, and  leaving  the  stewards  with  plenty 
of  leisure  on  their  hands  at  dinner.  In 
crossing  this  stretch  of  Queen  Charlotte's 
Sound  the  voyager  feels  the  touch  of  the 
outer  ocean  for  the  first  time, — and  usually 
he  finds  himself  enveloped  in  the  fog  that 
almost  perpetually  hangs  about  this  region. 
The  Kuro  Siwo,  or  Black  Stream,  or  Japan 
Current  of  the  Pacific,  which  corresponds 
to  the  Gulf  Stream  of  the  Atlantic,  washes 
the  coast  near  this  sound.  It  flows  north- 
ward from  the  Torrid  Zone  along  the  coast 
of  Japan,  turns  eastward  and  southward 
along  the  Aleutian  Islands,  then  trends 
down  the  Pacific  coast  of  America,  exerting 


I 


wammm 


22 


li 


its  genial  influence  from  Alaska  along  the 
shores  of  Washington,  Oregon,  California 
and  Mexico.  Wherever  its  warm  moisture- 
laden  winds  find  their  way,  there  winter 
and  drought  are  almost  unknown.  The 
long  days  of  this  northern  region  combined 
with  this  warm,  humid  atmosphere,  force 
vegetation  and  make  the  forests  as  dense  and 
the  undergrowth  as  luxuriant  as  in  the  trop- 
ics. No  forest  fires  ever  destroy  these  superb 
tracts,  and  the  breaks  caused  by  avalanches 
and  land  slides  are  soon  healed  by  a  beauti- 
ful low  growth  of  exquisite  green,  which 
from  our  ship  seems  like  velvet  moss.  In- 
stead of  fog  and  mist,  however,  we  have  had 
it  almost  clear,  and  the  north-west  wind  has 
brought  us  delicious  draughts  of  salt-laden 
air  from  the  middle  Pacific. 

Thursday,  June  20th.  The  clouds  hang 
low  on  the  mountains  this  morning  and  like 
a  gauzy  drapery  clothe  them  with  addi- 
tional beauty.  The  sun  at  three  o'clock 
began  his  triumphant  course,  and  when  we 
stepped  out  of  our  stateroom  his  beams  had 


23 


drawn  out  all  chilliness  from  the  air  and  we 
found  it  soft  and  balmy.  We  are  passing 
through  the  narrow  channel  which  separates 
Princess  Royal  Island  from  the  main  land 
of  British  Columbia.  Our  steamer  runs  so 
close  to  the  rocks  that  we  can  see  thei- 
rugged  seams  and  the  ravines  which  open 
dark  and  mysterious  in  their  precipitous 
sides.  The  breath  of  the  sea  and  the  breath 
of  the  pine  forests  blend,  and  the  pure  air, 
and  the  calm  and  stillness,  and  the  match- 
less panorama  of  mountains  over  which  the 
elfish  shadows  chase  each  other,  make  it 
seem  like  some  new  paradise.  We  might 
imagine  ourselves  on  the  waters  of  some 
beautiful  lake,  whose  surface  mirrors  the 
whole  picture — every  tree  and  twig  and 
rugged  peak  being  faithfully  reproduced  in 
the  emerald  waters.  The  charms  of  this 
inland  voyage  vary  and  increase  with  every 
day. 

"A  life  of  unalloyed  content, 

A  life  like  that  of  land-locked  seas." 


24 


Very  early  this  morning  the  water  was 
covered  with  a  bright  yellow  oily  substance 
which  they  told  us  was  whale  food.  Late 
yesterday  afternoon  one  of  these  monsters 
of  the  deep  sported  and  spouted  quite  a  good 
while  to  our  great  amusement.  He  was 
some  distance  ahead,  and  the  Kodaks  in  our 
party  were  immediately  made  ready  to  turn 
upon  his  sable  majesty  when  we  should  get 
a  little  nearer;  the  noise  of  our  propeller, 
liowever,  seemed  to  disturb  his  dream  of  de- 
light, and  he  suddenly  plunged  out  of  sight, 
but  reappeared  on  the  other  side  of  the  ship 
still  too  far  away  to  have  his  picture  taken. 

By  what  we  thought  a  peculiar  coinci- 
dence, we  entered  the  outside  sea  again, 
(Dixon's  Entrance)  just  as  dinner  was  being 
served  to-day,  and  of  course  a  very  large 
number  of  our  company  decided  to  skip  this 
meal.  The  Captain  was  greatly  amused — 
no  one  was  willing  to  own  to  sea-sickness, 
but  a  sudden  fit  of  self-denial  had  evidently 
seized  the  majority.  During  the  last  two 
days  much  more  ceremony  has  been  observed 


20 

at  dinner,  and  to-day  we  had  something 
new.  Wishing  to  secure  our  meal  before 
the  ship  rocked  too  much,  we  were  very 
prompt  in  answering  tlie  summons  when  the 
gong  sounded,  but  on  reaching  the  saloon 
we  were  politely  informed  by  the  head  stew- 
ard that  it  was  the  gong  to  get  dressed  for 
dinner.  It  struck  us  as  a  quiet  little  bit  of 
sarcasm,  when  we  recalled  the  fact  that  the 
chief  modifications  in  our  dress  consist  of 
putting  on  or  taking  off  the  numerous  wraps 
which  are  essential  to  one's  comfort  in  this 
northern  latitude. 

After  passing  Dixon's  Entrance  we  very 
soon  struck  the  boundary  line  between  the 
British  Possessions  and  the  United  States, 
the  famous  debatable  line  of  54.40.  The 
demand  of  the  patriots  of  that  time  was  re- 
called, who  would  have  the  *' 54.40  or  fight." 
The  ship  touched  at  Fort  Tongas,  a  pictur- 
esque spot  within  the  Alaska  boundary, 
where  the  Custom  House  is  located,  and  we 
found  ourselves  once  more  in  Uncle  Sam's 
dominions,  but  many  hundred   miles  away 


2() 

from  the  rest  of  his  family.  Here  what  is 
known  as  South-Eastern  Alaska  begins.  This 
is  almost  an  empire  in  itself.  It  embraces 
a  strip  of  the  mainland  of  the  Continent 
30  miles  wide,  and  follows  the  curve  of  the 
coast  for  over  400  miles.  Nestling  within 
this  curve  of  the  shore  lie  the  wonderful 
islands  among  which  our  steamer  threads 
her  way.  These  islands  vary  in  size,  from 
the  large  ones.  Prince  of  Wales,  Baranoff 
and  Admiralty,  down  to  the  little  rock  which 
lifts  itself  above  the  waves  and  offers  just 
room  enough  for  a  stunted  hemlock  to  fasten 
its  roots  upon.  The  region  known  as  West- 
ern Alaska  is  north-west  from  this,  and  com- 
prises the  extreme  north-western  portion  of 
the  American  Continent.  It  is  nearly  square 
in  shape,  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Arctic 
Ocean,  on  the  west  by  Behring  Sea,  and  on 
the  south  by  the  Pacific.  Between  Behring 
Sea  and  the  Pacific  shoots  out  a  peninsula 
and  many  attendant  islands,  which  stretch 
westward  toward  the  Asiatic  shore  as  far  as 
the  1 88th  meridian  of  west  longitude.  Above 


! 


1 


I 


iiiiMiiiMiiiini  iri 


27 


I 


this  chain  in  Behring  Sea  lie  the  two  islands 
where  the  fur  seals  are  taken  and  where  a 
large  trade  in  other  furs  and  in  fish  and  oil 
is  carried  on. 

Our  course  this  afternoon  has  been  through 
the  beautiful,  though  narrow,  Duke  of  Clar- 
ence Straits,  and  among  rocky,  picturesque 
islands.  The  glare  of  light  is  softened  and 
subdued,  and  the  extreme  stillness  begets  an 
awe  as  we  wonder  what  the  next  turn  of  our 
prow  will  reveal.  On  the  right  rises  Mount 
McNeil,  with  its  glacier  extending  far  down 
its  side. 

Friday,  June  21st.     The  Captain  having 
told  us  last  night  that  very  early  this  morn- 
ing our  ship  would  touch  at  Fort  Wrangell, 
(though  our  visit  to  the  town  will  be  reserved 
for  our  return,)  and  that  the  passage  through 
the  narrow  channel  would  be  very  interest 
ing,  we  rubbed  our  eyes  open  in  time  to  en- 
joy it.     We  had  a  small  conflict  between 
our  desire  for  more  sleep  and  our  desire  not 
to  lose  anything  of  this  remarkable  voyage, 
but  we  arose  and  were  fully  repaid.     One 


WBom 


sn 


28 


always  has  a  comfortable  feeling  after  a  vic- 
tory, but  we  had  more — nature  gave  us  a 
greeting  that  made  all  the  day  a  joy. 

VVrangell  Narrows  is  one  of  the  wonderful 
places  in  Alaska.  It  is  a  sinuous  channel 
between  mountainous  islands;  for  thirty 
miles  the  most  skillful  steering  is  necessary. 
Our  ship  slowed  her  engines  and  was  carried 
along  in  great  part  by  the  swift  current. 
Her  sides  almost  grazed  the  perpendicular 
rocks  which  shut  us  in,  and  many  times  it 
seemed  impossible  to  go  farther.  In  earlier 
times  it  was  not  considered  a  safe  inside 
pa  "jage,  but  in  1864  the  U.  S.  Ship  Saginaw 
carried  a  surveying  party  through  the  Nar- 
rows, and  in  1884  Capt.  Coghlan,  of  the 
U.  S.  Ship  Adams,  carefully  scumded  and 
marked  off  the  channel  with  stakes  and 
buoys,  and  now  the  navigator  only  waits  a 
turn  in  the  tide  to  carry  him  through  the 
strait  that  is  so  full  of  pictures  and  peril. 
The  grass  of  the  open  reaches  between  the 
rocks  is  of  the  most  vivid  green,  edged  by  a 
vegetation   of    the    brightest    yellow.      We 


r 


* 


29 


r 


I 


could  not  find  anyone  to  tell  us  what  it  is; 
it  is  a  low  growth  and  of  a  color  unusually 
brilliant.  We  are  now  in  sight  of  the  most 
superb  range  of  snow-capped  mountains  that 
we  have  yet  seen.  The  waters  of  the  Stic- 
keen  River  pour  into  the  strait  near  this 
point.  This  is  also  called  Glacier  River, 
for  it  is  said  that  about  three  hundred  gla- 
ciers drain  into  it.  Its  scenery  is  said  to  be 
marvelously  fine.  Prof.  Muir  calls  the  val- 
ley through  which  it  forces  its  way  "a  Yo- 
semite  one  hundred  miles  long."  Tradition 
says  that  the  river  made  its  channel  through 
an  immense  glacier— an  arched  tunnel  of 
ice.  We  have  just  seen  our  first  iceberg, 
beautifully  transparent,  and  green  as  the 
emerald  waters  on  which  it  floats. 

p.jo  A.  M,  We  are  passing  out  into 
Prince  Frederick's  Sound,  and  rain  is  begin- 
ning to  fall.  The  temperature  without  the 
sun  is  very  wintry.  The  climate  of  South- 
Eastern  Alaska,  however,  is  not  at  all  the 
frigid  one  that  popular  belief  will  have  it. 
The  whole  region  is  within  the  warming  in- 


i 


30 

Alienees  of  the  Japan  Current,  which  has  the 
effect,  however,  of  causing  rain,  that  some- 
times falls  quite  continuously.  The  winters 
are  very  much  moderated  by  it,  and  our 
Captain,  who  has  made  a  great  many  voyages 
iiere,  says  he  never  saw  the  mercury  fall  be- 
low Zero.  Spring  is  very  backward,  doubt- 
less because  the  snows  which  cover  the 
mountains,  keep  the  atmosphere  chilled, 
until  they  begin  to  appreciably  disappear; 
but  it  is  said  ihe  compensation  comes  in  the 
Fall,  when  the  mild  weather  is  extended 
beyond  its  limit  in  many  other  and  more 
civilized  places.  We  are  told  that  vegeta- 
bles and  flowers  are  frequently  found  grow- 
ing in  the  gardens  after  December  has  ar- 
rived, and  that  heavy  frosts  are  rare  before 
that  month.  The  United  States  District 
Attorney  for  Alaska  says  that  the  mean 
temperature  for  December  is  33.3  and  in 
January  31.4.  In  spite  of  all  this,  we  think 
it  very  cold.  These  glaciers  without  the 
sun  to  set  them  to  sparkling  look  gray  and 
forbidding.     '*  It  is  the  winter  of  our  dis- 


" 


fl**"*'-t'-r"irn>ffi 


31 


> » 


content,"  but  we  will  patiently  wait  for  the 
sunshine. 

8. JO  P.  M.  Before  the  lunch  gong  rang 
the  rain  was  ''over  and  gone,"  and  the 
revivifying  sun  poured  his  glory  upon  scen- 
ery which  grows  more  and  more  sublime. 
All  the  mountains  now  are  covered  with 
snow.  From  the  sea  to  the  timber  line  there 
is  the  very  densest  growth  of  black  firs, 
hemlock,  spruce  and  pine.  Above  the  tim- 
ber line  there  is  a  space  of  the  most  brilliant 
green,  which,  as  the  sun  shines  on  it,  seems 
to  have  a  sheen  like  velvet ;  above  this  is  the 
dazzling  snow.  Words  are  inadequate  to 
describe  the  effect  of  these  contrasts  in  color, 
made  more  marked  by  the  flood  of  sunshine. 

Cataracts  leap  down  the  sides  of  these 
mountains;  from  the  melting  snows  which 
give  them  birth  we  can  trace  their  descent 
until  they  are  lost  in  the  blackness  of  the 
forest,  only  to  re-appear  for  a  final  noisy 
plunge  into  the  sea.  Three  glaciers  are 
visible  at  once  on  the  east  side  of  Wrangell 
Narrows,  and  just  after  lunch  we  came  in 


32 


h  '! 


sight  of  the  largest,  known  as  Patterson 
glacier.  The  Mer  de  Glace  dwindles  in 
comparison  vvith  it  as  do  the  other  glaciers 
of  Europe,  but  it  is  small,  we  are  told,  in 
comparison  with  others  that  we  arc  yet  to 
see  in  Alaska.  It  is  named  after  Carlisle 
Patterson  of  the  United  States  Coast  Survey. 
It  has  a  termina-  r;ioraine  of  several  miles  in 
\vidth  and  our  Captain  says  it  extends  back 
from  forty  to  sixty  miles.  Its  frozen  billows 
fill  all  the  deep  ravine  in  which  it  lies. 
Early  in  the  afternoon  we  began  to  notice 
small  icebergs,  whose  beautiful  blue  color 
made  every  one  enthusiastic.  **Well!" 
said  a  gentleman,  "  my  adjectives  are  ex- 
hausted." ''Oh!"  said  Mr.  Ballon,  the 
author  of  "  Due  East  "  and  "  Due  West," 
who  has  been  through  this  region  before, 
*'just  wait  until  you  get  into  Glacier  Bay. 
then  pall  the  trigger  and  let  the  volley 
come."  Shortly  after  this  our  steamer 
shcked  her  speed  and  finally  stopped,  and 
we  saw  far  off  on  the  distant  waters  a  speck 
which,  as  it  came  nearer,  proved  to  be  the 
lug-boat  of  the  United  States  Coast  Survey. 


--**»»» 


mm 


33 


1 


With    considerable   enthusiasm,    they 
steamed  along  side  and  called  for  their  mail. 
After  a  little  difficulty  a  rope  was  adjusted, 
on  which  was  run  the  huge  bag  of  letters 
and  papers, — their  only  connection  in  these 
silent  waters  with  the  distant  and  busy  world. 
Our  afternoon  was  destined  to  be  the  time 
of  times  to  us.     Off  the  course  usually  taken 
by  the  ships  which  make   this  voyage  lies 
Takou    Inlet; — the    side -wheel    steamers 
which  have  heretofore  carried  tourists  iiave 
never  attempted  the  entrance  to  this  land- 
locked  sea.       We   had    been    heading    for 
Juneau  when  the  ship's  prow  was  suddenly 
turned  in  another  direction,  and  it  began  to 
be  whispered  that  our  Captain  and  the  Pilot 
had  decided  that  with  our  screw  steamer  it 
was  possible  to  enter  this  almost  unknown 
sea,    and    gaze    upon    the    marvels    that    it 
contained  within   its  close  embrace.       Im- 
mediately, like  an  electric  current,  a  sup- 
pressed   but    possessing    excitement    filled 
every  one,  not  the  passengers  only,  but  the 
Captain    and    those    under   his   command* 


mamm 


34 


Every  one  was  on  the  qui  vive; — taking  our 
place  on  the  forward  hurricane  deck,  very 
soon  there  appeared  a  picture  which  for 
grandeur  exceeded  anything  I  had  ever  seen. 
Looking  up  this  comparatively  narrow  inlet, 
at  its  head  we  saw  one  snow-capped  peak 
overlapping  another  until  all  were  lost  in 
the  distance.  The  north  wind,  for  which 
we  had  been  wishing  for  days,  had  come  at 
last,  and  every  thread  of  vapor  was  stripped 
from  the  sky,  and  a  clearness  indescribable 
pervaded  the  atmosphere  ;  in  it  every  object 
stood  out  with  unusual  distinctness,  and  far- 
away mountains  seemed  near  enough  to 
reach  by  a  walk.  Very,  very  slowly  our 
ship  seemed  to  feel  her  way  along ;  a  turn, 
and  we  looked  fairly  into  the  open  sea 
covered  with  icebergs ;  literally  they  were 
innumerable.  As  we  crept  on  they  became 
larger  and  more  beautiful  in  color  and  shape. 
For  fifteen  miles  we  slowly  followed  this 
fiord,  until  we  stood  still  within  a  r>re.il" 
basin,  where  three  large  glaciers  are  visible. 
The  first  one  that  we  saw  is  certainly  the 


i  !i 


35 


♦ 

1 


most  beaut  ful.  It  is  a  perfect  cerulean 
blue,  broken  into  great  billows,  down  into 
whose  depths  the  sunshine  filtered  and  flashed, 
lighting  the  whole  like  a  fairy  dream.  It 
reached  to  the  water's  edge,  and  from  it 
float  off  the  great  blue  masses — **  bergs  of 
beryl  and  of  sapphire  '*  into  the  sea.  One 
of  the  three  glaciers  looked  gray  and  dirty, 
and  its  mouth  was  hidden  by  a  turn  in  the 
mountain.  On  the  left  of  this  circular  bay 
lies  the  largest  glacier,  which  sweeps  down 
between  two  lofty  peaks  and  spreads  itself 
out  as  it  reaches  the  sea,  but  it  terminates 
in  a  moraine  of  sand,  pebbles  and  bowlders. 
This  river  of  ice  is  fully  three  miles  wide, 
and  its  moraine  about  one  mile.  There  is 
nothing  attractive  about  it  but  its  magnitude, 
lying  as  it  does  like  a  frozen  Niagara  be- 
tween the  snowy  mountains.  Here  our 
steamer  stopped — we  were  in  a  shut-in  sea; 
no  visible  way  of  exit ;  the  circle  of  snowy 
summits  rose  above  us  and  the  three  glaciers 
in  front  and  on  either  side.  We  seemed  so 
surrounded  by  icebergs  and  so  close  to  the 


i    ; 


36 

mountains  Uiat  we  were  awed,  and  a  sudden 
misgiving  so  us.  What  if  our  Captain 
and  the  Pilot  Si.ould  not  succeed  in  getting 
out  ?  In  that  almost  unknown  sea  it  was 
possible  to  imagine  terrors,  all  of  which 
could  happen,  but  even  while  we  feared  we 
found  our  prow  slowly  swinging  around, 
until  we  were  stopped  by  an  iceberg  that 
called  forth  extravagant  exclamations  of  de- 
light;—  certainly  nothing  more  beautiful 
could  be  found.  It  measured  70  feet  high 
and  300  feet  long  above  the  surface  of  the 
water.  All  sorts  of  theories  were  advanced 
as  to  how  much  of  it  was  under  water,  but 
no  one  spoke  with  authority,  and  we  were 
left  on  that  point  to  our  own  conjecture. 
Its  blue  color  varied  through  a  gamut  of 
shades.  During  its  stay  in  the  emerald  sea, 
the  water  had  produced  strange  and  fantas- 
tic shapes ;  in  its  very  heart  was  a  cave  of 
intensest  blue,  over  whose  entrance  fell 
drooping  pendants  of  clear  ice  ;  on  its  sum- 
mit was  the  immaculate  snow.  Silence  fell 
upon  the  talkers,  and  it  was  scarcely  broken 


;  ■ 

i 


9 


i 


I 


37 

until  Mr.  E.,  of  Philadelphia,  exclaimed, 
**  Well  !  I  have  been  among  the  glaciers  of 
Norway  and  Iceland,  but  I  never  saw  any- 
thing that  approaches  this  scene;  how  proud 
I  feel  that  it  belongs  to  us,  that  I  have  an 
individual  share  in  it."  The  exuberance  of 
feeling  finally  found  vent  in  a  round  of 
cheers  which  awakened  the  echoes.  There 
were  many  of  us,  however,  who  felt  as  if  we 
were  standing  in  the  audience  chamber  of 
the  Creator,  and  looking  upon  a  new  crea- 
tion, very  far  away  from  the  every-day  world 
we  had  always  known.  Tears  stood  in  many 
eyes,  and  an  anthem  of  praise  would  better 
have  expressed  the  pent-up  emotion. 

10  P.  M,  This  rarest  of  all  days  is  pass- 
ing to  its  close.  We  feel  as  if  we  had  lived 
more  than  one  day.  Never  *'  morning  wore 
to  evening"  with  so  rich  an  experience  in 
the  marvelous  beauties  of  nature.  In  the 
order  of  things  we  ought  to  be  ready  to  sleep, 
but  the  ever-present  day  makes  going  to  bed 
a  rather  difficult  thing,  even  though  the 
**  clock  strikes  the  hour  for  retiring." 


f 


38 


i 


IP'f  1 
If  I 


Saturday y  June  22d.  We  have  reached 
our  longest  days;  in  this  northern  latitude  it 
is  almost  perpetual  daylight.  A  San  Fran- 
cisco paper  advertised  this  voyage  as  a 
•*Trip  to  the  Land  of  the  Midnight  Sun." 
This  is  not  strictly  true.  The  sun  departs 
but  the  glow  that  remains  is  so  bright  that 
last  night  at  11.30  we  could  read  with  ease, 
though  it  had  begun  to  grow  dusky;  by  12 
o'clock  the  darkest  was  reached  and  then 
we  could  tell  the  time  on  our  watch  dials 
without  trouble. 

Turning  north  from  Takou  Inlet,  our  ship 
took  her  course  between  steep  mountain 
walls,  down  which  came  the  foaming  cas- 
cades toward  Douglass  Island.  The  channel 
between  the  mainland  and  the  island  is  less 
than  a  mile  in  width,  and  the  mountains 
rise  abruptly  from  the  water  to  the  height  of 
two  to  three  thousand  feet,  with  the  snow 
ranges  back  of  them.  At  Douglass  Island 
our  ship  stopped  long  enough  to  permit  us 
to  visit  the  great  Tread  well  Mine — the  largest 
gold  mine  in  the  world.     It  is  an  immense 


dl 


I, 


i 


39 


4 


i 


1 


quartz  ledge,  with  a  vein  of  over  four 
hundred  feet.  We  went  into  the  huge  quar- 
ries and  along  the  underground  railroad,  by 
which  the  quartz  is  carried  into  the  big  mill 
— the  biggest  known — where  the  huge  ham- 
mers are  breaking  and  pounding  the  quartz 
before  going  through  the  final  process  of 
separating  the  gold  from  its  attending  alloys. 
It  is  owned  by  a  few  wealthy  capitalists  in 
California  and  New  York,  and  bears  the 
name  of  the  young  man  who  started  the 
enterprise.  We  tried  to  ascertain  the  annual 
output  of  the  mine,  but  the  owners  are  very 
reticent,  and,  of  course,  the  superintendent 
*Mid  not  know."  They  told  us,  however, 
that  the  usual  yield  is  from  six  to  fifteen 
dollars  per  ton.  From  a  man  in  charge  of 
one  of  the  crushers  I  learned  that  6oo  tons 
of  quartz  are  daily  passed  through  the  mill. 
It  did  not  take  a  very  intricate  mathematical 
calculation  to  find  out  then  how  much  gold 
comes  out  each  year.  The  yield  seems  in- 
credible. The  whole  amount  expended  on 
mill,  machinery,  etc.,  was  about  five  hundred 


40 


thousand  dollars.  This  part  of  Alaska 
seems  lo  be  rich  in  mineral  wealth,  and 
deposits  of  gold  have  been  found  in  many 
of  the  mountains  that  border  the  islands  and 
shores  of  this  part  of  the  Territory.  Other 
and  smaller  mines  have  been  opened  and 
are  being  successfully  worked. 

Saturday,  June  22d.  The  first  thing  we 
realized  this  morning  on  opening  our  eyes, 
having  been  awakened  by  the  noise  of  the 
sailors  overhead,  was  that  our  ship  had  surely 
changed  her  course,  for  the  sun,  which  did 
not  usually  get  around  to  our  side  until  noon, 
was  shining  brightly  in  our  room.  At  break- 
fast we  learned  that  the  Captain  had  decided 
to  touch  at  Sitka  before  going  to  Chilcat, 
our  most  northern  point,  leaving  it  and 
Juneau  to  be  visited  on  our  return. 

ii.jo  A.  M.  We  are  now  fairly  in  the 
Sitkan  Archipelago.  The  weather  is  very 
fine.  The  sky  is  full  of  cumulous  clouds, 
which  cast  their  shadows  on  the  mountains, 
making  delightful  pictures. 

The  approach  to  Sitka  is  unusually  beauti- 


41 


J 


ful.  The  bay  on  which  it  stands  ioses 
nothing  by  comparison  with  the  Bay  of 
Naples.  The  extinct  volcano,  Mt.  Edge- 
cumbe,  stands  like  a  sentinel  here,  as  Vesu- 
vius stands  by  the  Italian  bay.  Innumerable 
islands,  some  rugged  and  bare,  others  thickly 
wooded,  dot  the  placid  waters  as  far  as  the 
eye  can  reach.  The  whole  is  enclosed  by 
snovvy  mountains.  A  poetic,  dreamy  haze, 
floats  over  all,  through  which  the  sunshine 
glows  with  a  rich  mellowness  ;  it  is  a  picture 
that  would  make  an  artist  rapturous. 

Sunday^  June  2jd.  The  steamers  visit 
Sitka  so  seldom  that  their  coming  is  a  great 
event.  By  the  time  we  had  rounded  Bara- 
noff  Island  and  were  fairly  in  sight  of  the 
town,  a  crowd  was  gathered  on  the  wharf 
to  give  their  presence  to  the  work  of  landing 
passengers  and  freight.  When  we  stepped 
off  the  gang-plank  on  to  the  long  pier,  the 
Indians  met  us  with  their  wares,  and  they 
lined  the  whole  way  into  the  town,  pushing 
their  baskets  and  bracelets  toward  us  as  we 
approached,  and  with  an  appealing  air,  but 


42 


i 


i 


ji 


\m 


no  words,  urging  us  to  buy.  Most  of  them 
were  women,  who  squatted  or  lay  face 
downward  on  the  wharf,  their  heads  propped 
by  their  hands,  and  enveloped  in  their 
blankets.  Here  many  of  them  stayed  all 
the  time  of  our  visit,  some,  apparently,  never 
moving. 

Two  objects  in  the  town  immediately 
catch  the  attention — the  palace  of  the  Rus- 
sian Governors  and  the  Greek  church.  The 
former  stands  upon  a  rocky  eminence  over- 
looking the  bay,  and  is  a  large  square  build- 
ing, very  plain  and  rapidly  falling  into  de- 
cay. The  flights  of  steps  leading  to  it  are 
very  much  out  of  repair,  and  the  moss  and 
tangled  vines  covering  them  make  their 
ascent  a  matter  of  care  and  caution.  When 
our  Government  took  possession  of  Sitka,  in 
1867,  this  building  was  splendid  in  all  that 
appertains  to  a  palace.  The  Russian  Gov- 
ernors were  from  the  noble  families  at  home, 
and  they  brought  with  them  to  this  far-off 
Capital,  the  appurtenances  of  a  princely 
residence.     Here  they  lived  and  entertained 


M 


43 

handsomely ;    they   surrounded    themselves 
with  comfort  and  luxury;  but  since  it  has 
been  the  property  of  the  United  States  it 
has  been  utterly  neglected,  and  despoiled  of 
every  vestige  of  its  former  splendor.     Every- 
thing has  been  carried  off,  both    furniture 
and  the  handsome  belongings  of  the  house 
itself.    We  climbed  up  the  rickety  steps  and 
found  a  young  soldier  of  the  garrison,  who 
showed   us  around.      In  the  course  of  our 
visit  he  said  he  was  a  prisoner  in  the  old 
house   for   several    months,    this    being  his 
punishment  for  some  misdemeanor.     In  one 
of  the  deserted  rooms  he  had  set  up  a  camera, 
and  for  weeks  he  had  be*^,.  amusing  himself 
by  taking  pictures  from  the  windows;  the 
walls  for  quite  a  space,  in  one  corner,  were 
hung  with  them.     On  an  old  packing  box, 
adroitly  covered,  was  spread  an  unusually 
handsome   Chilcat   blanket   (which  one  of 
our  passengers  subsequently  bought  for  sixty- 
five  dollars)  and  other  curios.     From  this 
room  he  had  swept  the  rubbish  and  taken 
down  the  festoons  of  cobwebs.     He  told  us 


N 


mmmmmmm 


44 


J' 

n 
li 


the  traditions  of  the  palace,  and  sliowed  us 
the  room  where  the  ghost  of  the  young  Rus- 
sian Princess  still  comes  from  time  to  time, 
to  sob  and  moan  over  her  untoward  fate. 
She  was  compelled  to  wed  against  her  wish, 
a  noble  of  the  Government,  while  her  heart 
belonged  to  a  young,  uncommissioned  offi- 
cer. On  her  wedding  night  she  disappeared, 
and  was  found  dead  in  a  small  room  of  the 
castle,  having  been  shot,  it  is  said,  by  her 
unhappy  lover. 

It  needed  no  little  imagination  to  conceive 
what  this  old  palace  had  once  been,  for  now 
the  whole  is  dirty  and  neglected  >  so  full  of 
rubbish  and  old  stuff  that  it  is  anything  but 
attractive.  The  views  from  the  windows, 
however,  are  superb,  and  wishing  to  get  the 
whole  panorama  at  once  we  climbed  out  on 
the  roof.  There  lay  the  Sitkan  Archipelago, 
a  hundred  little  islands  nestling  in  the  har- 
bor, each  one  a  tangle  of  rock  and  forest, 
with  green  slopes  and  grassy  glades.  The 
westering  sun  poured  over  all  the  scene 
the  molten  gold  of  his  nearly  level  rays. 
No  Venetian  sunset  was  ever  more  beautiful. 


•!■■  i 


45 


r 


As  we  went  about  the  town  we  learned  a 
bit  of  its  history.  The  bay  was  first  visited 
by  Baranoff  in  1799,  who  built  Fort  Arch- 
angel Gabriel,  and  took  possession  of  the 
country  in  the  name  of  Russia.  Three  years 
later,  the  Indians  arose  and  captured  the 
Fort  and  murdered  the  officers  and  many  of 
the  men.  Baranoff  returned,  re-captured 
the  Fort,  and  built  also  Fort  Archangel 
Michael,  and  thereafter,  until  his  death,  he 
ruled  the  colony  with  a  rod  of  iron  ;  his  free 
use  of  the  knout  kept  the  Indians  and  Siber- 
ian renegades  in  good  order.  Subsequently 
Sitka  became  the  Capital  of  the  Russian 
dominions  in  America,  and  the  seat  of  a 
bishopric.  Its  commerce  was  extensive. 
There  was  a  brisk  trade  in  furs;  a  factory 
turned  out  wooden  and  iron  ware;  an  iron 
furnace  smelted  the  native  ores;  a  bell 
foundry  cast  bells  and  chimes,  which  were 
sent  along  the  Pacific  coast,  especially  to 
Mexico;  a  ship  yard  had  "ways"  for 
launching  vessels  of  a  thousand  tons,  and 
the  town  was  a  scene  of  business  activity. 


11  I  i 


46 


! 


All  this  was  changed  after  the  sale  of  Alaska, 
or  Russian  America,  in  1867,  to  the  United 
States,  and  the  consequent  removal  of  nearly 
all  the  better  class  of  Russians.  It  grew 
duller  and  more  lifeless  by  a  slow  descend- 
ing scale  every  year,  and  civilization  sank 
to  alnfiOst  native  wildness.  The  Indians, 
unrestrained  as  )ears  slipped  by,  grew  dar- 
ing and  outrageous.  In  1879,  however, 
Captain  Bardslee,  of  the  Jamestown,  was  sent 
there.  He  seems  to  have  been  the  first  officer 
who,  knowing  his  duty,  was  inclined  to  do 
it.  He  cruised  through  all  parts  of  the 
archipelago  and  kei>t  the  Indians  in  check, 
and  instituted  many  reforms,  which  have 
been  maintained.  Captain  Glass,  his  suc- 
cessor, compelled  the  native  children  to 
attend  school,  took  a  census  of  the  population 
and  looked  closely  after  the  houses  in  v/hich 
they  lived,  and  endeavored  by  strenuous 
means  to  destroy  the  covert  and  illicit  still? 
where  the  poisonous  and  fiery  hoochinoo 
was  brewed.  The  town  to-day,  though 
without  commerce,  apparently,  is  a  pleasant 


El 


I J 


47 


and  wholesome  place  In  which  to  live.  The 
Captain  appointed  a  police  force  from  the 
Indians  themselves,  dressed  them  in  navy 
cloth,  with  **  Jamestown  "  in  gilt  letters  on 
their  caps,  and  a  silver  star  on  their  breasts. 
They  were  forced  to  clean  their  ranches  and 
white-wash  and  drain  them;  in  a  word, 
order  took  the  place  of  anarchy. 

Very  soon  after  landing,  we  .r.adeour  ,vay 
out  to  the  Mission  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  under  the  care  of  Dr.  Sheldon 
Jackson.  On  the  road  we  met  the  Doctor, 
who  gave  up  the  most  cordial  greeting.  He 
begged  us  to  go  on,  saying  he  would  be 
back  very  shortl■^  We  told  him  of  others 
on  our  steame'  who,  we  were  sure,  would 
like  to  see  his  school  and  the  work  he  is 
trying  to  do;  so  when  he  returned  he 
brought  with  him  quite  a  large  party,  some 
of  whom  had  never  heard  of  the  mission  at 
all.  The  cluster  of  buildings  which  com- 
pose it,— the  school,  the  hospital,  the  resi- 
dence for  the  teachers,  the  cottages  built  at 
a  small  cost  for  the  newly  married  Indian 


i  i 


s 


li 


48 

couples  to  live  in,  the  workshops  and  a  large 
new  dormitory,  all  stand  on  a  hill  on  the 
road  to  Indian  River,  overlooking  the  bay, 
islands  and  sea,  with  the  mountains  rising 
on  three  sides.  We  were  greatly  pleased 
with  what  we  saw.  The  cottages  and  new 
dormitory  and  hospital  were  all  built  by  the 
boys  in  the  school.  With  much  pride  also 
we  were  shown  the  furniture  of  these  build- 
ings as  specimens  of  their  handiwork.  These 
Alaskan  Indians  seem  very  teachable,  and 
capable  of  attaining  a  higher  plane  of  life. 
Being  Saturday,  the  school  had  a  half- 
holiday,  and  all  the  boys  were  off,  but  in 
the  carpenter  shop  we  found  a  young  fellow 
busy  with  his  tools.  I  asked  him  what  he 
was  making,  and  in  pretty  good  English  he 
told  me  he  was  '^trying  to  make  a  box  to 
hold  his  clothes."  All  the  pupils  are  taught 
the  ordinary  English  branches,  and  while 
the  boys  work  at  house-building,  cabinet- 
making,  boat-building,  shoe-making,  etc., 
the  girls  are  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of 
house-keeping  and  sewing.     The  school  is 


49 

so  arranged  that  each  one  attends  school  a 
half-day  and  works  a  half-day.  Dr.  Jackson 
was  very  sorry  that  he  did  not  know  of  our 
coming,  that  he  might  have  made  a  little 
preparation  for  us ;  as  it  was,  however,  we 
had  an  excellenl  entertainment.  The  great 
bell  on  the  top  of  the  main  building  was 
rung,  and  the  boys  and  girls,  from  their 
fishing  and  wandering  in  the  woods  and  by 
the  shore  ca  trooping  in,  and  we  had 
singing  and  reading,  class  in  language  and 
a  few  speeches.  The  whole  mssion  frater- 
nity greeted  us  as  if  we  were  friends  who  had 
been  long  absent.  They  are  o  cut  off  from 
the  rest  of  the  world  that  our  coming  was  a 
delight.  We  found  they  had  hea'-d  nothing 
of  the  great  world  beyond  e   the  last 

steamer,  months  before.  We  told  them  of 
the  flood  at  Johnstown,  and  the  Seattle  fire, 
and  in  fact,  everything  we  could  think  of. 
The  school  publishes  a  little  paper,  called 
**The  North  Star."  It  is  designed  to  tell 
of  the  mission  work  in  Alaska  and  matters 
of  local  interest.     The  native  boys  set  the 


I 


m 


I 


type  and  do  the  work.  The  walk  from 
the  mission  to  Indian  River  is  very  beautiful. 
The  road  lies  through  the  woods,  where  we 
found  ferns  in  great  variety,  and  exquisite 
velvety  moss.  We  picked  wild  raspberries 
and  salmon-berries,  both  of  which  were 
large  and  of  fine  flavor.  There  were  plenty 
of  song  birds,  which  come  here  in  the  sum- 
mer weather.  We  found  many  wild  flowers. 
There  are  said  to  be  over  three  hundred 
varieties  on  Baranoff"  Island.  We  were  quite 
surprised  at  the  size  of  the  buttercups  and 
dandelions,  they  are  twice  as  large  as  ours 
and  richer  in  color.  Indian  River  is  a  swift 
mountain  stream  ;  the  water  is  as  clear  as 
crystal.  The  banks  are  lined  with  thrifty 
and  graceful  alders.  A  very  pretty  rustic 
bridge  adds  to  the  romantic  beauty  of  the 
picture. 

On  a  hill  oeyond  thv^  town  is  the  grave- 
yard where  the  Russians  buried  their  dead. 
I  had  a  curiosity  to  see  it.     There  was  no 
path,  and  dodging  the  cows,  (of  which  Sitka 
boasts  about  twenty)  which  were  grazing  on 


I 


T    I 


\'i'     I 


t\ 


the  slopes,  I  climbed  over  the  boggy  ground 
and  reached  the  overgrown  little  cemetery. 
Rank  bushes,  ferns  and  grasses  filled  all  the 
space  between  the  tombs,  few  of  which  re- 
main intact.  The  wife  of  a  Russian 
Prince  lies  here,  her  resting  place  marked 
by  a  mutilated  tombstone.  Utter  forgetful- 
ness  and  neglect  are  stamped  on  this  small 
city  of  the  dead.  On  the  same  hillside  are 
a  few  tombs  of  the  Sitka  Chiefs  ;  their  queer 
little  burial  boxes  looking  not  unlike  child- 
ren's playhouses,  are  nearly  hidden  by  the 
tangled  bushes. 

The  Greek  Church  stands  at  the  end  of 
the  main  streec,  facing  the  small  square,  or 
court.  It  has  a  green  roof,  a  dome  and 
bulging  spire,  a  fine  clock  and  a  chime  of 
bells,  and  is  exactly  like  pictures  of  the 
churches  in  St.  Petersburg  or  Moscow.  The 
faded  walls  and  roof,  almost  destitute  of 
paint,  tell  a  sad  story.  By  the  payment  of 
fifty  cents  we  were  permitted  to  enter.  A 
young  Russian,  one  o^  the  very  few  left 
here,  courteously  showed  us  all  there  was  to 


m 


52 


i 


F!  ' 


be  seen.  We  asked  him  how  it  was  that  he 
remained  in  Alaska  when  his  people  returned 
to  the  home  country.  He  replied  that  he 
was  an  only  child,  and  'at  the  time  the 
country  changed  masters,  he  was  just  at  the 
age  requiring  him  to  serve  in  the  Russian 
Army.  His  parents  dreading  this,  had  de- 
cided to  live  in  exile,  but  keep  their  son. 
From  him  we  learned  that  the  Russian 
Government  still  supported  the  church,  but 
that  money  comes  less  regularly  than  in 
the  years  past,  and  that  they  are  therefore 
obliged  to  charge  a  fee  of  admittance.  In 
olden  times  the  church  was  very  rich,  but 
it  had  been  robbed  most  outrageously  by  the 
United  States  soldiers  on  their  first  coming 
to  Alaska.  Much  of  this  Wealth  was  never 
recovered.  The  interior  of  the  church  is 
cruciform,  and  is  richly  decorated  in  white 
and  gold.  In  either  transept  are  side  altars, 
and  the  main  altar  is  reached  through  a  pair 
of  open  work  bronze  doors,  set  with  silver 
images  of  the  saints.  Over  these  doors  is  a 
large  picture  of  the  Last  Supper,  the  f^ces 


i 


I 


t* 


53 


painted  on  ivory  and  the  figures  draped  in 
robes  of  silver.  There  is  a  picture  of  the 
Madonna  and  Child  on  the  north  altar  that 
is  very  beautiful.'  It  was  the  gift  of  a  Russian 
Queen.  The  silvery  drapery  and  the  gems 
which  stud  it,  as  well  as  the  exquisite  paint- 
ing of  the  faces,  give  it  an  unusual  value. 
Heavy  silver  lamps  hang  from  the  ceiling, 
and  tali  candlesticks  stand  before  the  images 
of  the  saints.  There  are  no  seats  in  the 
church,  except  the  bench  which  runs  around 
the  wall,  designed  for  visitors.  The  vest- 
ments, each  of  which  has  a  history,  are  rich 
and  costly.  The  Bishop,  who  used  to  reside 
in  Sitka,  left  for  San  Francisco  after  the 
change  of  government. 

Through  the  old  stockade  gate  we  passed 
into  the  Indian  rancherie,  a  double  row  of 
unpainted  square  frame  houses,  facing  the 
beach.  Here  we  found  plenty  of  women 
and  children  and  dogs.  The  men  were  off 
on  the  fishing  grounds.  We  came  upon  the 
houses  of  Anahootz,  the  Sitka  Chief,  and 
Mrs.  Tom.     The   latter  we  saw.     She  is  a 


51 


character  and  an  influence  among  her  neigh- 
bors, and  is  as  shrewd  at  a  bargain  as  any 
Yankee.  She  has  accumulated  quite  a  for- 
tune in  her  trading.  We  went  into  numer- 
ous cabins  in  the  search  for  curios,  and  were 
impressed  with  the  eagerness  of  the  natives 
to  make  money.  They  offered  us  the  spoons 
they  were  eating  with,  the  ear-rings  from 
their  ears,  the  brooches  which  held  together 
their  scanty  shoulder  covering,  and  even  the 
charms  which  hung  about  their  necks.  One 
of  them  looked  a  little  bewildered  when  we 
made  an  offer  for  a  pappoose  which  she  car- 
ried in  a  loop  of  her  blanket.  There  are 
several  silver-smiths  in  Sitka,  who  fashion 
the  bracelets  which  are  in  such  demand. 
We  came  to  the  conclusion  that  there  must 
be  a  Trades  Union  here,  for  the  uniformity 
of  prices  was  remarkable,  and  there  was  a 
positive  firmness  in  the  market. 

Sunday,  June  2jd.  We  did  not  leave 
Sitka  until  6  A.  M.  to-day.  The  matter  of 
the  tides  is  a  very  important  one  in  winding 
among  the  islandsof  thisarchipelago.    9  A.M. 


1^1 


.1 


55 


•  4 


Obliged  to  anchor,  the  water  being  too  low 
for  us  to  proceed.  We  are  between  two 
islands  whose  image  is  perfectly  reflected  in 
the  watery  mirror. 

10  P.  M.     Our  rest  was  but  short.       Be- 
fore lunch  we  came  in   sight  of  Auk  and 
Eagle  Glaciers,  which  look  like  frozen  lakes 
on  which  one  might  skate;  all  roughness  is 
lost  from   the  distance,  and  even  the  glass 
did   not   dispel  the   illusion.       Lakes  with 
mountains  of  snow  rising  above  them,  and 
dark  firs  bounding  them  on  the  lower  side. 
About  6  P.  M.  we  first  saw  the  lofty  peaks 
of  La  Perouse,  Fairweather  and  Crillon,  the 
last    15,900   ft.   high.       vVe  are  now  fairly 
within  the  entrance  to  Glacier  Bay,  where 
wonders  are  to  be  revealed  to  us  to-morrow. 
The  weather  is  very  fine  and  the  sky  cloud- 
less.    Every  peak  and  headland  and  grim 
fissure  stands  out  with  wonderful  clearness. 
Our  Captain   and   Pilot  seem   to  share  the 
enthusiasm  that  stirs  all  the  company,  for  it 
is  rarely  that  a  voyager  in  this  sea  has  such  a 
view  of  these  mountains.      Nine  times  out 
of  ten  there  is  bad  weather. 


I  lE-l 

ml- 


1*^  r 


56 


The  sun  is  slowly  leaving  this  side  of  the 
earth,  but  his  declining  rays  are  touching 
into  flame  the  snowy  summits  which  burn 
against  the  deepening  blue  of  this  northern 
sky.  This  has  been  a  delightful  Sabbath  ! 
The  peace  of  God  has  descended  on  the 
earth  and  found  its  way  into  human  hearts, 
and  we  have  realized  the  presence  of  the 
Infinite. 

Though  the  sun  is  not  yet  out  of  sight, 
still  Captain  Carroll  wants  us  to  retire,  in 
view  of  our  early  rising  at  4  to-morrow. 
Our  ship  has  dropped  her  anchor,  and  she 
will  wait  for  the  morning  light  to  sail  into 
the  wonderland  of  the  great  Muir  Glacier. 
Masses  of  ice  are  floating  all  about  us  and 
flocks  of  gulls  are  flying  from  berg  to  berg. 
A  pleasant  incident  of  the  afternoon  was  our 
meeting  the  Ancon.  We  exchanged  greet- 
ings and  we  feel  sorry  that  her  passengers 
should  not  be  able  to  see  Glacier  Bay. 

Monday,  June  24th.  We  awakened  this 
morning  to  the  glory  of  a  perfect  day,  and 
we  took  it  as  a  gift  from  the  Great  Giver  of 


^^  ■ 

\  i  '■ 


m 


every  good  and  perfect  gift.    Our  rising  was 
hastened  by  gi  conversation  outside  our  win- 
dow, carried  on  by  three  French  gentlemen 
who  in  tones  of  much  apprehension  berated 
our  Captain  and  Pilot  for  risking  the  lives 
of  their  passengers  by  sailing  so  far  into  the 
inlet    where    the    glacier    meets    the    sea. 
Without  sharing  in  the  least  their  fear,  but 
rather  delighted    that  we   were  still  going 
nearer  the  majestic  object  of  our  desire,  we 
hurried  out  and  were  soon  on  the  forward 
deck  with  those  who  enthusiastically  watched 
our  slow  advance.       Huge  icebergs  seemed 
to  hem  us  in,  and  our  ship  very  often  stop- 
ped until  a  good  opportunity  offered  to  give 
them  a  push  out  of  our  way.      Occasionally 
one  would  strike  us  and  make  the  steamer 
shiver  from  the  blow.     Steaming  slowly  up 
the  inlet,   the  bold   cliff-like    front  of  the 
glacier  grew  in  height  as  we  approached  it, 
and   our  awe   increased   as  we  drew  near 
enough  to  hear  the  strange  continual  rumb- 
ling of  the  sub-glacial  rivers  and  to  see  the 
avalanches  of  ice  break  from  the  front  and, 


08 


*! 


with  a  roar  like  the  crash  of  artillery,  plunge 
into  the  sea.  Soundings  weie  frequently 
taken,  and  we  still  very  slowly  advanced 
until  we  were  within  probably  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  or  less  of  the  huge  perpendicular 
wall  of  ice.  Here  we  dropped  anchor,  but 
the  masses  of  falling  ice  caused  us  to  with- 
draw to  a  safer  distance,  much  to  our  regret. 
Breakfast,  a  thing  so  ordinary  and  common, 
came  in  like  an  interruption,  but  we  per- 
mitted it  and  descended  from  the  sublime 
to  the  consideration  of  a  bill  of  fare. 

A  number  of  the  passengers  decided  to 
make  the  ascent  of  the  glacier,  and  the 
ship's  boats  were  soon  in  readiness  to  con- 
vey us  to  the  moraine  from  which  the  climb 
begins.  Our  boat-load  of  six  had  just 
landed,  and  we  were  standing  where  we  had 
a  lateral  view  of  the  entire  front,  when  the 
very  largest  berg  which  had  yet  fallen,  and 
weighing,  the  Captain  said  afterward,  hun- 
dreds of  tons,  fell  with  a  deafening  roar  into 
the  sea  below.  It  took  off  a  section  reaching 
from   base   to  summit,  and   caused  a  tidal 


f 


59 

wave  that  made  us  run  ;  a  few  cameras  that 
had  been  just  placed  on  the  beach  met  an 
unhappy  fate. 

Our  longing  to  see  something  unusual  was 
fully  satisfied,  and  we  began  our  climb  in  a 
contented  frame  of  mind.       A  sharp,  keen 
wind  blew  in  our  faces  from  the  unbroken 
glacier  fields,   and   for  two   miles  we  went 
steadily  on,  feeling  the  exercise  to  be  a  de- 
light until  we  reached  the  sloping  sides  of 
the  glacier  itself.       The  surface  of  the  ice 
is   extremely   rough   and   of  a  dirty  white. 
Vast  crevasses  and  impassible  chasms,  scores 
and  even  hundreds  of  feet  in  depth,  stopped 
us  from  time  to  time ;  we  were  obliged  to 
go  long  distances  around  them  in  order  to 
get  on.     We  could  hear  the  gurgle  and  roar 
of  the    waters   flowing   below  the   surface. 
The  ice  cut  our  rubber  shoes  into  shreds, 
and  when  we  started  to  make  the  descent  we 
scarcely  knew  whether  to  cast  them  offal- 
together  or  try  and   make  them  serve  us  a 
little  in  the  numerous  small  streaQiS  we  haa 
to  cross.       Our  coming  down  had  nothing 


m 


'  I 


6U 

inspiriting  in  it  in  the  first  place  and  nothing 
easy  in  the  second,  so  that  we  found  it 
altogether  a  different  thing  from  going  up. 
In  endeavoring  to  find  a  path  where  the 
rocks  were  less  sharp  and  rugged,  we  took  a 
direction  that  led  us  into  sloughs  of  despond. 
The  treacherous,  gray,  glacier  mud,  covered 
by  pebbles  that  looked  very  secure,  again 
and  again  gave  way  under  us  and  we  found 
ourselves  thrown  down  with  nothing  to  help 
us  to  our  feet  again.  Sometimes  we  would 
sink  above  boot-tops  and  even  to  the  knees 
in  the  horrid  compound.  Before  we  were 
more  than  half  the  way  down,  the  ship's 
whistle  blew,  and  to  our  speed  we  wouUl 
have  added  wings,  but  we  were  perforce 
abliged  to  take  it  slowly.  At  the  beach  we 
found  the  Corona's  boat  with  four  strong 
seamen  in  great  rubber  boots  endeavoring 
to  hold  it  on  the  beach,  but  the  turbulence 
of  the  waves,  caused  by  the  falling  ice,  made 
it  a  very  difficult  thing. 

From    Prof.    Wright's   pamphlet    on    the 
Muir  Glacier,  which  we  came  upon  in  Sitka, 


r 


61 


f 


we  take  the  following  facts:  **  The  glacier 
enters  an  inlet  of  the  same  name  at  the  head 
of  Glacier  Bay.  This  bay  is  a  body  of  water 
about  thirty  miles  long  and  from  eight  to 
ten  wide,  but  at  the  upper  end  it  narrows 
to  three.  The  promontory  separating  it 
from  the  Pacific  Ocean  is  from  three  to 
four  miles  wide  and  contains  the  lofly  peaks 
of  Fairweather,  La  Perouse,  and  Crillon. 
The  water  front  of  the  glacier  is  one  mile. 
Nine  main  streams  of  ice  unite  to  form  the 
grand  trunk  of  the  glacier.  These  branches 
come  from  every  direction,  and  no  less  thai> 
seventeen  sub-branches  can  be  seen  coming 
in  to  join  the  main  streams,  making  twenty- 
six  in  all.  The  ice  in  the  eastern  half  is 
moving  much  more  slowly  than  that  in  the 
western  half,  but  a  stream  of  ice  five  thou- 
sand feet  wide  and  one  thousand  feet  deep 
is  entering  the  inlet  at  an  average  rate  of 
forty  feet  per  day.  The  indications  that 
the  glacier  is  receding  and  that  its  volume 
is  diminishing  are  indubitable  and  numer- 
ous.      So  rapidly  is  it   receding  that   it   is 


t  I 


j 


62 

probable  that  at  the  time  Vancouver  visited 
the  region  in  1794,  and  judging  from  his 
notes,  the  ice  extended  nearly  to  the  mouth 
of  the  bay.  The  perpendicular  height  of 
the  glacier  at  the  water's  edge  is  three  hun- 
dred feet."  These  figures  differ  from  those 
of  Prof.  Muir,  who  first  explored  the  gla- 
cier. He  says  that  it  measures  three  miles 
across  the  snout  or  front,  where  it  breaks 
off  into  the  sea, — that  ten  miles  back  it  is 
ten  miles  wide  and  that  sixteen  tributary 
glaciers  unite  to  form  this  one  great  ice  river. 
Our  morning  had  been  one  of  strange  ex- 
hilaration; the  afternoon  was  quietly,  indeed 
languidly,  spent  in  our  easy  chairs,  watching 
from  the  stern  the  receding  glacier  and  tak- 
ing in  the  sublimity  of  Fairweather  and 
Crillon.  These  had  not  received  their  due 
attention,  owing  to  the  overpowering  at- 
traction of  the  glacier.  We  did  not  even 
care  to  talk.  The  utter  relaxation  which  is 
apt  to  come  after  such  high  toning  as  we  had 
had  for  the  past  eight  hours,  now  had  pos- 
session and  we  yielded.     We  glided  out  of 


63 

the  bay  as  carefully  as  we  had  entered,  quite 
often  stopping  the  machinery  that  collisions 
with  the  masses  of  loose  ice  might  be  avoid- 
ed. In  these  masses  we  traced  a  perfect 
menagerie  of  animals,  from  the  elephant  to 
the  toad.  The  water  seems  to  play  pranks 
with  the  ice,  washing  it  out  into  myriad 
shapes. 

Tuesday,  June  2Sth,  At  11.30  last  even- 
ing, by  the  ship's  time,  while  it  was  still 
light,  we  passed  Davidson's  and  Rainbow 
Glaciers.  At  12  we  cast  anchor  in  Pyramid 
Harbor,  off  Chilkat. 

During  the  early  morning,  up  to  the  time 
of  our  leaving  Chilkat,  our  vessel  was  dis- 
charging her  cargo  of  freight  designed  for 
the  Pacific  Canning  Co.,  which  has  estab- 
lished its  headquarters  here.  Huge  lighters 
came  alongside  to  receive  the  stuff,  and 
canoes  brought  numbers  of  the  Indians  to 
sell  their  wares  on  board  the  ship.  I'he 
Chilkats  are  among  the  best  workers  among 
the  various  tribes  of  Alaska  Indians,  and 
with  the   Hydahs    make   some  very  pretty 


11^ 


III 


Sf  1 1 


I 


»     ■ 


«4 


things.  A  Chilkat  blanket,  quite  small  in 
size,  but  made  out  of  the  long  wool  of  the 
white  goat,  was  sold  to  a  passenger  for  ^65, 
the  squaw  wiic  had  it  asked  $70  for  it. 
There  are  a  few  primary  colors  in  which  they 
€xcel,  yellow  seeming  to  be  their  favorite. 
Bracelets  and  finger  rings  were  disposed  of 
very  quickly  and  at  very  good  prices,  for 
though  far  away  from  civilization  and 
brought  into  contact  with  purchasers  only 
when  the  steamers  touch  here,  yet  they  have 
learned  the  trick,  of  the  white  man,  and  they 
not  only  ask  good  prices  but  stick  to  them. 
Offer  them  something  less  and  they  imme- 
diately put  on  an  utterly  stupid  expression 
and  say  nothing ;  you  think  they  give  way, 
and  the  lesser  sum  is  offered,  in  an  instant 
the  article  is  whipped  back  into  the  old  rag, 
or  oily  basket,  or  skin  bag  and  you  see  it  no 
more,  until  with  a  coaxing  expression  the 
purchaser  says,  "  Well !  how  much  was  it?" 
and  with  an  exasperating  imperturbability 
they  will  not  deign  in  words  to  say  the  price, 
but  they  hold  up  their  fingers,  and  the  bar- 


•t-.. 


65 


gain  is  completed.     To-day  they  brought  in 
bunches  of  the  most  beautiful  wild  roses,  wet 
with  the  rain,  and  we  seized  upon  them  with 
delight   at   ten  cents  a  bunch.       A  gentle 
rain  has  ueen  steadily  falling,  not  heavily, 
but  just  enough  to  bring  out  the  odors  of 
the  pines  and  sprrces  which  make  up  the 
primeval  forest  here.     Around  Pyramid  Bay 
quite  a  settlement  is  started,  and  the  ship's 
boats  carried  a  number  of  our  people  over 
to  the  two  shops  which  are  there  in  the  hope 
of  finding  curios. 

Our  course  to-day  has  been  through  the 
Lynn  Canal — now  narrowing,  now  widen- 
ing. The  clouds  have  hung  low  on  the 
mountains,  the  snow  peaks  coming  out  clear 
above  them. 

In  going  from  the  head  of  Lynn  Canal 
down  to  Junes^u,  a  distance  of  about  eighty 
miles,  nineteen  glaciers  of  large  size  are  in 
full  view  from  the  steamer's  deck,  but  none 
come  down  far  enough  to  break  off  into  the 
water  and  give  birth  to  icebergs.  It  is  not 
possible  to  describe  the  beryl-like  blue  of 


i     : 


II 


■ 

j 

i 

:•  i 
i 

^w 

V 

wS\ 

. 

f.' 

\\ 

i 

I 

i 

1 

] 

; 

m 

i 

' 

1  ~ 
1 

; 

: 

1     ', 
1 

P 

1  \ 

III 

1 

1 

'cE 

w 

*^ 

1 

66 

these  glaciers,  especially  as  contrasted  with 
the  dead  white  of  the  upper  expanse  of  snow. 
At  6  P.  M.  we  reached  Juneau.  The  rain 
had  ceased,  but  it  had  made  the  road  lead- 
ing into  the  town  so  muddy  that  several 
vehicles  were  hopelessly  stuck ;  our  ludi- 
crous efforts  to  pick  our  way  so  that  we  might 
not  founder  in  the  same  inglorious  way, 
seemed  to  afford  the  natives  unusual  amuse- 
ment. The  sight  of  the  town  is  very  pictur- 
esque, being  at  the  base  of  an  abrupt 
mountain  cliff,  down  which  pour  several 
silver  cascades.  It  promises  to  become  the 
metropolis  of  Alaska,  owing  to  its  proximity 
to  rich  mines.  The  shops  are  varied  and 
well  stocked.  We  were  told  that  there  are 
fifteen  hundred  white  men  and  twelve  white 
women  in  the  town,  the  other  two  thousand 
being  Indians.  The  native  women  are  very 
ugly,  and  to  their  natural  homeliness  they 
add  a  smearing  of  seal  oil  and  lamp  black. 
Knowing  that  the  Presbyterian  Church  has 
a  mission  here,  C.  M.  L.  and  1  went  to  find 
it.    By  mistake  we  called  first  at  the  home  of 


67 


Rev.  Eugene  Willard,  the  missionary,  in- 
stead of  at  the  Mission  House  as  had  been 
our  intention.  Mrs.  Willard,  a  very  pleas- 
ant, but  rather  delicate  looking  little  woman, 
opened  the  door,  and  with  the  most  gracious 
smile  immediately  invited  us  in  before  we 
had  time  to  state  our  errand,  or  apologize 
for  our  mistake.  Our  inquiry  had  been, 
when  the  door  was  opened,  '*Is  this  the 
Mission?"  '*No,  but  it  is  just  the  same. 
Come  right  in."  From  this  devoted  little 
woman,  her  husband  being  away,  we  had,  in 
a  delightful  conversation  of  an  hour,  a  brief 
history  of  their  missionary  work  from  the 
time  they  had,  a  young  married  couple,  left 
home  and  come  out  here  as  Missionaries  to 
the  Indians.  Their  work  lay  at  first  on  the 
Chilkat  Peninsula,  which  lies  between  Chil- 
kat  and  Chilkoot  Inlets,  both  of  which  nar- 
now  into  rivers  and  run  miles  up  into  the 
mountain.  On  the  Peninsula,  which  at  its 
iower  end  is  only  a  few  miles  wide,  are  fif- 
teen villages,  each  the  home  of  a  fierce 
tribe,  with  its  commanding  Chief.     So  con- 


T 


ii 


J'  * 


[I 


68 

stant  have  the  wars  and  feuds  been  between 
these  tribes,  that  the  very  name  Chilkat  has 
become  a  synonym  for  war  and  blood-shed. 
The  T'linkit  language  is  the  only  one  that  is 
common  to  a  majority.  The  uppermost 
village  on  Chilkoot  River  is  considered  by 
its  tribe  to  be  impregnable.  The  river  at 
this  point  is  very  wide  and  exceedingly 
shallow,  and  Mrs.  Willard  graphically  de- 
scribed their  journey  thither ;  as  the  water 
was  too  shallow  to  float  their  canoe,  they 
had  to  walk  the  last  thirty  miles  and  drag 
it  after  them.  After  the  work  was  quite  es- 
tablished here  they  were  called  to  start  the 
Mission  at  Juneau.  Mrs.  Willard  says  that 
the  greatest  trial  they  ever  had  among  the 
Chilkats  was  the  leaving  them. 

Amid  immense  discouragements  and  set- 
backs, the  Mission  at  Juneau  was  founded. 
By  personal  labor  the  Church,  the  Home 
and  the  Manse  were  all  built.  Mr.  Willard 
and  his  Indian  boys  doing  the  heavy  work, 
and  Mrs.  Willard  the  painting  and  papering 
and  a  hundred  other  lighter  jobs.      These 


II 

I 


f 


:    I 


6^ 


ijgas 


e 


buildings  stand  on  the  hill  and  command  a 
fine  view  of  the  harbor  and  the  snow-capped 
mountains  behind,  ihe  roar  of  whose  cata- 
racts disturbs  the  sweet  stillness  of  the  place. 
The    Mission    has   thirty  pupils— twenty 
boys  and  ten  girls  >  all  the  latter  are  very 
young,  five  being  under  four  years.       The 
cupidity  and  avariciousness  of  these  tribes- 
have  resulted  in  the  revolting  custom  of  sell- 
ing their  daughters  when  they  reach  the  age 
of  twelve  years,  inta  a  life  that  is  worse  than 
slavery.     Turning  from  the  main  part  of  the 
town,  where  one  sees  only  too  many  evi- 
dences of  low  life,  it  is  refeshing  to  climb 
the    breezy  hill    to    the    Mission    building. 
The  view  is  inspiring,  and  doubtless  is  often 
like   a   revivifying   draught    to    these   dear 
missionaries  who  find  so  many  discourage- 
ments in  their  work. 

In  trading  with  the  natives  here  we  found 
one  very  amusing  and  yet  rather  annoying 
custom.  Not  infrequently,  after  making  a 
bargain  with  the  husband  for  some  trifle  or 
curio,  and  paying  the  money,  his  wife  would 
come  and  order  him  to  give  us  the  money 


70 


and  take  back  the  article.  To  this  interfer* 
ence  he  always  submitted  in  silence  and  we 
were  perforce  obliged  to  do  the  same,  as  we 
were  not  fluent  in  either  Chinook  or  T'linkit. 
We  were  told  that  in  important  contracts 
the  same  rule  prevails,  and  traders  are 
obliged  to  yield  for  the  sake  of  peace  and 
their  future  trade.  The  woman  thus  holds 
apparently  the  veto  power  in  all  money 
transactions.  How  much  authority  they 
have  in  other  matters  I  did  not  find  out. 

It  was  II  P.  M.  when  we  reached  the 
steamer.  We  cannot  seem  to  get  used  to 
the  perpetual  daylight,  and  we  are  thus  al- 
ways over-stepping  the  proper  bounds  of 
what  we  usually  call  a  day.  At  midnight 
we  steamed  away  from  Juneau ;  the  whistle 
awoke  the  finest  echoes  we  have  yet  heard 
in  Alaska. 

Wednesday,  June  26th,  The  sun  gladdens 
sea  and  sky  with  his  rays  once  more.  Yes- 
terday was  the  only  wholly  cloudy  day  that 
we  have  had.  We  greet  the  sunshine  with 
joy  and  find  it  good  to  be  on  deck  once 
more.     We  are  now  on  our  return  voyage, 


71 


and  have  just  seen  Patterson's  Glacier  for 
the  second  time.  The  delusion  of  a  frozen 
river  which,  ere  it  had  congealed,  was  bro- 
ken into  cascades,  is  most  complete. 

From  the  deck  of  the  steamer  we  traced 
the  windings  of  the  stream  between  the 
mountains.  It  is  vast  in  proportions,  though 
partly  hidden  by  the  moraine  which  it  has 
raised.  *'  Three  or  four  miles  back  from  its 
front  rises  a  wall  of  solid  ice  nearly  one  thou- 
sand feet  in  height."  The  sun  shone  full 
upon  it  and  brought  out  its  frosty  and  opaline 
colors.  Its  blue  billows  sparkled  in  the  gold- 
en light.  An  old  lady  standing  next  me 
on  the  deck  said,  *^That  fall  in  the  middle 
of  the  river,  surely  it  is  flowing  water !" 

"  Ye  ice-falls !    ye  that  from  the  mountain's  brow 
Adown  enormous  ravines  slope  amain, — 
Torrents,  methinks,  that  heard  a  mighty  voice 
And  stopped  at  once  amid  their  maddest  plunge ! 
Who  made  you  glorious  as  the  gates  of  heaven  ? 

Who  bade  the  sun 
Clothe  you  with  rainbows  ? 
God  !  let  the  torrents,  like  a  shout  of  nations 
Answer,  and  let  the  ice  plains  echo  God ! 


n 


72 


h, 


' 


fii 


Our  next  excitement  was  the  passage  again 
•of  Wrangell  Strait,  where  the  rapid  waters 
run  through  a  channel  so  narrow  that  the 
utmost  care  was  exercised  to  keep  our  ship, 
whose  draught  is  only  five  feet,  from  ground- 
ing. 

Wrangell,  our  next  stopping  place,  is  ad- 
vantageously situated  on  an  island  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Stickeen  River,  which  rises  in 
British  Columbia  and  has  a  length  of  nearly 
two  hundred  miles.  The  little  town  has  a 
capacious  harbor.  Lofty,  snow -crowned 
mountains  break  the  sky  line  in  all  directions. 
Like  the  other  Alaskan  towns,  it  rambles 
around  the  bay  and  is  nearly  a  mile  from 
-end  to  end.  The  Indian  huts  here  are  more 
interesting  than  any  others  that  I  have  seen. 
They  are  low,  about  twenty  feet  square,  and 
built  of  rough-hewn  logs.  In  the  middle  of 
the  heavily  pitched  roof  is  an  opening  sev- 
eral feet  square,  and  directly  beneath,  on 
the  ground,  huge  logs  were  piled,  and  in 
€very  case  an  excellent  fire  was  burning, 
watched   over  by  old,   toothless,    wrinkled 


73 

women,  whose  matted  gray  locks  and  palsied 
limbs,  scantily  clothed,  made  them  pitiable 
objects.     In  two  of  the  cabins  a  small  table, 
like  a  child's  toy,  stood  near  the  fire,  with 
tea-cups  and  a  tea-pot.      The  fire  is  a  great 
purifier,  and  carries  off  much  of  the  stench 
which  constantly  offends  the  olfactories  of 
one  not  born  to  it.       Dirt  and  degradation 
and  abundance  were  combined.     Plenty  of 
fish  were  hung  up  to  dry,  and  grease  covered 
everything.       Dirty  and  unwashed    dishes, 
full   of  the  blackened  grease,   stood  about 
in  every  hut  we  entered.     Evidently  there  is 
no  idea  of  comfort  from  cleanliness.    Around 
the  interior  run  two,  and  sometimes  three, 
platforms,    (connected    by   rude   steps)    on 
which  are  to  be  found  the  beds,  chests,  etc. 
Chairs  there  are  none;  neither  stools  nor 
benches.       Men  and  women  sit  upon  their 
haunches,  and  the  missionaries  told  me  fchat 
one  of  the   most  difficult  things  to   teach 
them  is  to  sit  on  chairs.     In  one  place  we 
were  invited  to  the  upper  gallery  where  the 
squaws  of  the  hut. had  out  all  their  treasures 


h, 


]  ii 


3 


;     I  U 


^'    i 


74        ^ 

of  bracelets,  spoons,  baskets,  etc.  One  of 
these  huts  belonged  to  the  Chief  of  the  tribe, 
whose  daughter,  **  the  Princess,"  married 
Kadeshan,  an  excellent  fellow,  who  is  build- 
ing himself  a  white  man's  house,  with  bay 
windows.  He  has  already  set  up  the  totems 
of  his  and  her  family  at  the  front  door. 
Having  been  introduced  to  him  by  Judge 
Shackley,  who  has  been  our  fellow  passenger 
from  Sitka,  he  invited  us  to  his  new  home 
and  showed  us  his  father's  totem,  three 
hundred  years  old,  which  he  keeps  within 
the  house,  also  two  hats  designed  for  the 
dance  which  are  curiously  ornamented  with 
seals'  tails  and  reptiles.  The  hut  of  **the 
Princess,"  where  they  are  now  living,  was, 
if  anything,  more  littered  up  with  old 
trumpery  than  any  we  had  seen,  and  **the 
Pr'ncess  "  herself  a  little  crosser  than  the 
other  crones  who  seemed  to  have  the  fires- 
under  their  protection.  On  the  steps  of  the 
Chief's  house  we  found  quite  a  lot  of  gray 
mica  slate  set  full  of  big  garnet  crystals, 
brought  from  Garnet  Creek,  near  the  Stick- 


I 


h 


•■c... 


«en  River.  The  totem  poles  are  a  great 
curiosity  and  full  of  interest.  They  are 
cedar  posts,  very  tall  and  ingeniously  carved. 
They  represent  the  genealogy  and  mythology 
of  the  family,  which  always  takes  its  descent 
on  the  female  side.  The  crow  or  raven  stands 
at  the  top  as  the  superior,  the  creator  and 
first  of  all  things.  We  enjoyed  the  walk 
thoroughly  along  the  wandering  grass  grown 
lane  or  street,  over  the  bridge  to  some  old 
huts  where  rare  and  curious  totems  are  still 
standing.  It  seemed  to  me  that  the  ancestor 
who  set  them  up  must  have  had  a  sense  of 
humor,  for  on  the  top  of  one  of  the  poles  is 
balanced  a  bear  who  certainly  seemed  to  be 
laughing  at  what  he  looked  down  upon. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  and  Mission 
School  are  the  pleasantest  houses  in  Wran- 
gell.  The  present  pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Mackey, 
was  with  us  during  our  stay.  He  told  us  he 
had  an  average  congregation  on  Sundays  of 
four  hundred  Indians.  It  was  here  that  the 
first  attempt  of  an  Evangelical  Church  to 
reach  the  natives  was  made,  when  Mrs.  A, 


fll 


R.  McFarland  landed  in  their  midst  in 
1877;  for  a  year  she  was  the  only  white 
woman  here,  and  for  the  most  of  that  time 
the  only  Protestant  Missionary  in  Alaska. 
She  had  had  large  preparation  for  this  work 
m  her  long  missionary  life  on  the  frontiers. 
After  ten  years  of  service  in  Illinois,  she  and 
her  husband  went  to  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico, 
the  first  Presbyterian  Missionaries  to  that 
Territory.  After  this  they  went  to  work 
among  the  Nez  Perces  Indians,  where  hard 
work  and  a  severe  climate  caused  an  illness 
from  which  Mr.  McFarland  did  not  recover, 
and  he  passed  to  the  laborer's  reward  above. 
Alone  the  devoted  wife  came  to  this  new 
field.  Dr.  Jackson  says  of  her,  "That  all 
the  perplexities — political,  religious,  physic- 
al and  moral — of  the  native  population, 
came  to  her  for  solution,  and  her  arbitration 
was  universally  accepted.  She  was  their 
physician  when  sick  and  took  charge  of  the 
funeral  when  they  died.  She  was  the  peace- 
maker between  husbands  and  wives.  If 
feuds  arose  among  small  tribes  or  families 


r 


I 


\ 


77 


f 


she  was  arbiter;  if  difficulties  arose  as  to 
property,  she  was  judge,  hiw>er  and  jury. 
When  the  Christian  Indians  called  a  Con- 
stitutional Convention,  she  was  electeti 
chairman.  Great  chiefs  li^ft  their  homes 
and  people,  and  came  long  distances  to 
enter  the  school  of  '  the  woman  who  loved 
their  people,'  or  to  plead  that  teachers 
might  be  sent  to  their  tribes."  She  was 
greatly  assisted  rn  her  work  by  Clah,  a  con- 
verted Indian,  the  story  of  whose  beautitul 
life  is  still  fr^-sh  and  green  in  the  Mission 
here.  The  school  is  industrial,  as  those  are 
at  Sitka  and  Juneau. 

On  an  island  in  the  bay  stand  the  govern- 
ment buildings;  here  Judge  Shjckle>  has 
his  residence.  For  a  time  the  U.  S.  troops 
were  quartered  here,  hence  the  town  is  often 
called  Fon  Wrangell. 

Thursday,  June  2jih,  The  morning  is 
soft  and  mild  ;  a  pleasant  summery  haze 
lurks  among  the  hills  and  like  a  gauz  ail 
tones  down  the  intense  blue  of  the  sky. 
We  are  once  again  within  the  British  Do^ 


V 


\  t^.- 


A 


'  I 


'■  ! 


n 


minions,  running  twelve  knots  an  hour  down 
Granville  Channel,  between  Pitt  Island  and 
the  main  land.  We  shall  very  soon  reach 
Princess  Royal  Island.  The  snow-capped 
mountains  have  almost  entirely  diappeared, 
and  given  place  to  lower  and  well-wooded 
hills. 

.  Now  and  then  a  rugged  granite  peak  starts 
up  without  verdure  of  any  kind.  While  at 
Chilkat  we  discovered  the  bright  yellow 
green  which  covers  so  many  of  the  moun- 
tains in  Alaska,  above  the  tree  line,  to  be  a 
prickly  shrub  with  broad  leaves,  from  which, 
as  well  as  from  the  stalk,  protrude  thorns 
big  and  little;  this  is  called  by  the  natives, 
T/ie  DeviV  s  Walking  Stick. 

Just  after  dinner  we  crossed  Milbank 
Sound  again,  and  our  good  ship  had  quite  a 
tossing  from  the  heavy  swells  which  here 
sweep  in  from  the  sea.  Having  discharged 
her  freight  she  was  much  more  at  their 
mercy  than  before. 

As  if  to  compensate  us  for  the  withdrawal 
of  the   mountains,   nature    treated    us   this 


79 


evening  to  a  wonderfully  beautiful  sky, 
and  crowned  it  all  by  an  unusual  sunset. 
The  numerous  islands  lying  in  the  distant 
west  looked  as  if  they  were  covered  with 
sifted  gold,  the  sea  was  all  aglow  with  color, 
and  the  hills  on  the  horizon  had  a  purple 
sheen  upon  them.  Just  while  we  were  all 
looking  at  the  scene,  a  whale  began  to 
spout,  and  the  two  jets  which  he  threw 
quite  high  into  the  air  seemed  like  amber 
dust ;  then  the  huge  fellow  lifted  himself 
quite  out  of  the  water  and  disappeared  as 
though  he  had  spent  his  energy  in  that  one 
exhibition. 

Friday,  June  28th.  Between  midnight 
and  4  A.  M.,  we  crossed  Queen  Charlotte's 
Sound.  Most  of  the  passengers  were 
awakened  by  the  rocking  and  the  noise  of 
nK)vable  things  that  shifted  with  the  motion 
of  the  ship. 

I  P.  M.  This  has  been  the  only  really 
disagreeable  day  of  our  voyage  ;  a  cold  rain 
has  been  driving  into  our  most  sheltered 
places  on  the  deck,  and  we  have  been  tui'ccil 


I 


. ; 


SO 


!! 


\ 


to  the  quiet  of  our  staterooms,  or  the  busy 
ihum  of  Social  Hall.  C.  M.  L.  lias  been 
busy  with  his  letters,  while  I  have  spent 
most  of  my  odd  moments  in  doing  our 
packing,  anticipating  thus  a  leisure  for  the 
bright  day  to-morrow,  when  to  be  inside 
would  seem  like  penance.  All  day  we  have 
been  running  through  Johnston's  Strait,  with 
Vancouver's  Island  on  our  right. 

8  P.  M.  About  three  o'clock  this  after- 
noon the  wind  increased  to  a  gale,  and  the 
sea  became  very  rough.  Owing  to  our  hav- 
ing no  freight  on  board,  not  even  the  weight 
of  the  coal,  the  ship  is  not  nearly  so  steady 
as  on  our  voyage  northward.  As  the  day 
declined  the  wind  increased,  and  in  conse- 
quence, the  waiters  at  dinner  rested  their 
hands  in  their  jacket  pockets  and  gazed 
sadly  at  the  empty  seats.  We  feel  that  this 
is  the  place  to  put  into  practice  the  old  saw, 
which  fell  so  often  unpleasantly  on  our 
childish  ears,  '*  Early  to  bed,"  etc. 

Saturday,  June  zgth.  When  we  awakened 
this  morning  we  were  at  the  pier  at  Nanaimo, 


\\ 


81 


According  to  Captain  Carroll's  plan  we  were 
merely  to  '*  touch  here,"  (a  ''touch  here" 
in  a  sailor's  parlance  is  a  comparative  term) 
for  coal,  for  as  he  said,  "It  is  all  ready  for 
us  and  it  will  take  no  time  to  dump  it  into 
the  hold,  and  we  will  be  off  for  another  visit 
to  Victoria."  Alas  for  his  plan  and  ours! 
Though  the  contract  had  been  signed  long 
before,  that  on  this  day  so  many  tons  of  coal 
vvere  to  be  ready  for  the  Corona,  yet  when 
a  quondam  vessel,  a  few  hours  before  we 
reached  here,  entered  the  port  and  begged 
for  the  coal  that  had  been  especially  mined 
for  us,  assuring  the  superintendent  that  it 
was  not  possible  that  we  should  arrive  to-day^ 
the  obliging  man  yielded;  so  our  day  was 
spent  in  this  rather  uninteresting  place. 

During  the  leisure  of  our  stop  we  learned 
something  of  the  coal  supply  of  Alaska. 
Nature  seems  to  have  provided  this  great 
Territory  with  an  almost  unlimited  quantity 
of  fuel,  both  in  the  form  of  coal  and  wood, 
each  of  which  is  easily  available,  both  as  re- 
gards the  quality  and   the  convenience  of 


n 

; 

t 

; 

t 

1 

i 

f 

■!.'' 

' 

.1 

location.  Captain  J.  W.  White,  of  the 
United  States  Revenue  Marine,  says:  *'I 
have  seen  coal  veins  over  an  area  of  fortv 
or  fifty  square  miles,  so  thick  that  it  seemed 
to  me  one  vast  bed.  It  is  of  an  excellent 
steam  producing  quality."  Iron  seems  to 
lie  in  close  proximity  to  the  coal,  so  that 
there  should  be  a  sure  foundation  for  com- 
mercial prosperity  in  the  future  of  this  new 
Eldorado. 

The  coal  is  soft,  easily  mined,  and  so 
close  to  the  shores  that  it  is  no  difficult 
thing  to  ship  it.  We  waited  while  they 
mined  the  quantity  necessary  to  carry  our 
steamer  on  her  next  voyage.  The  little  cars, 
each  holding  two  tons,  came  and  went,  run- 
ning out  on  a  narrow  guage  track  to  the  end 
of  the  long  pier,  whence,  by  an  ingenious 
arrangement,  their  contents  were  turned  in- 
to the  hold,  which  very  soon  began  to  look 
like  a  mine  itself.  We  spent  the  time  in 
wandering  along  the  pleasant  beach,  making 
little  detours  into  the  groves  near  by.  The 
town  lies  back  from  the  bay,  but  a  picturesque 


1 


83 


group  of  houses  are  here  nestled  close  to  the 
shore.  They  all  have  luxuriant  gardens  and 
are  covered  with  flowering  vines.  In  spite 
of  our  disappointment  we  have  enjoyed  the 
day.  The  air  has  been  soft  and  balmy,  and 
nature  has  again  proven  her  power  to  charm 
and  please.  Our  sail  this  afternoon  has 
brought  us  again  within  sight  of  the  superb 
Olympian  range,  which  throws  back  the 
purple  glow  of  sunset  like  a  great  prismatic 
wall.  We  shall  make  no  stop  at  the  towns 
on  Puget  Sound  but  sail  straight  to  our  des- 
tined port. 

Sunday,  June  joth.  All  hands — passen- 
gers and  crew — were  astir  very  early  this 
morning;  indeed,  from  the  sounds  that  ever 
and  anon  disturbed  our  slumbers,  we  con- 
cluded that  somebody  must  have  been  up 
all  night."  With  returning  consciousness 
came  the  almost  unwelcome  thought  that 
this  delightful  voyage  was  nearly  ended ; 
also  a  realization  that  we  had  something  to 
do  ere  we  and  our  belongings  would  be 
ready  to  disembark. 


I 


it  i 


* 


t 


I 


I 


1           I 

3            i 

i 

i 

1 

1 

1 

J 

i 

1 

! 
i 

1 
1 
I 

We  are  within  sight  of  Tacoma.  Adieus 
are  being  said  on  all  sides,  and  very  soon 
the  contented  and  happy  party  which  for 
two  weeks  has  made  the  population  of  this 
little  floating  world,  will  leave  the  pleasant 
ship  for  their  severally  divergent  roads  of 
business  or  of  pleasure. 

For  ourselves  we  are  grateful  that  it  is  the 
Sabbath,  and  that  open  Church  doors  invite 
us  to  enter.  We  have  an  offering  of  thanks- 
giving to  lay  upon  His  altar,  who,  through 
perils  of  many  waters  has  brought  us  again 
to  our  desired  haven. 


'^^?aa 


